Don't You Fake It
by She'sNoGLASSDOLL
Summary: BACK IN ACTION[Don't worry, I know CPR.] She was the mistaken daughter of an infamous legend. He wanted nothing more than to see the legend dead. It was a match made in heaven. :Namiku:
1. Chapter 1

So this is chapter 1. I hope to have more up as soon as possible. And trust me, it starts out slow, but it will get good. Let me know!

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She wasn't crazy about going to see the fighting match, but then again, what say did she have in the matter? If she stayed home, who would get the food and make runs to the counter and stand in the line of shouting people to get the winner's autograph. To tell you the truth, she didn't want to be with Ansem and his lackeys at all. They were loud and obnoxious, and treated her more like a piece of meat than a person.

Then again, what say did she have in the matter?

She really didn't understand what excitement someone found in watching other people punch each other. Maybe it was the satisfaction that someone else was getting the crap beat out of them, while you got to sit a few feet away, perfectly safe, with your tub of greasy cheese fries.

"Namine, get me some more boooooze," Ansem slurred out as he speculated a steroid induced man body slam another equally tranquilized man.

She stood silently, rolling her eyes as she fixed her flaxen hair. It wasn't that she was the kind of pushover that did anyone's bidding; she would rather get shoved in line for more beer than get shoved through a closed window, like last week.

Ansem and his men were the epitomy of morons. To bad they were skilled fighters too. Ansem's gang was the terror of the city, and his 'boys' regularly jumped and shot people on the streets. Ansem was so self centered he had yet to have been caught, sacrificing his men for his own safety and legend. It was stupid really, the feud that existed between Ansem's gang, the Darkness, and the city rebels, the Nobodies.

Ansem's father, the founder of the Darkness, got his brilliant idea of massacre when a man of the Nobodies, a long withstanding peacekeeping kind of gang, had shot his wife. After that, street fights nearly tripled, and the gang grew to dangerous proportions. The only thing that kept the city from going under Ansem's control was the Nobodies.

It made her sick, how she was the daughter of such a heartless man. Her mother? Death by drug overdose. It made her want nothing more than to become a member of the Nobodies.

"Here's your drink sir," the man at the counter slurred to the silver haired teen in front of Namine. She shifted impatiently when he leaned over the counter.

"You haven't seen anyone here with a black heart imprinted on their jacket have you?" he asked quietly in a deep, husky voice.

Namine perked up immediately. The Darkness had the symbol of the black heart on all their clothing. Only the Nobodies knew of that identification.

"No sir."

"Alright, well thanks." The boy turned around, a few drinks in his hand, and she saw that he couldn't be much older than her. His aquamarine eyes flashed beneath too-long lashes, and his face carried a light smirk.

"You haven't seen the symbol have you?" he asked her before she could turn away.

"Too often," she muttered without thinking. Suddenly, she gasped and pulled away. How could she say that? Urgh! He is going to be suspicious! She pushed her way through the crowd, hearing the boy calling after her. She dashed to the exit and sprinted through the stadium parking lot.

She ran and ran until she thought her lungs were going to give out. Then she sank onto a bench at a bus stop. Then it dawned on her.

_She was free. _


	2. Chapter 2

_chappppter 2! thanks to the people that reviewed! and for the rest of you, get to it! _

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Have to go fast. I have to go fast. No, they aren't going to catch me. No, go go go run run RUN! I pulled myself up through the unlocked window of the apartment, and scrambled around desperately, gathering anything I could find. If I was going to run away, I was sure as hell going to do it right. There was no way I could hope to survive in the cold city for more than a few hours without any money.

_I could always just steal like my father. _I hurriedly shoved anything I could into her bag, and hesitated before grabbing a small dagger. I froze at the sound of voices from outside. Grabbing my jacket, I crept back over to the window, ready to make a getaway.

Instead of seeing Ansem however, I saw the same silver haired guy from the match. He was jogging lightly with another boy, this one with a shock of red hair that spiked all over the place.

"She ran this way. I almost caught up to her at that park, but then she took off again."

"Why again are we chasing her?" the redhead replied in a smooth, saucy voice. I ducked farther down, so only her eyes peaked over the window sill.

"She knew the dark symbol! There was no way she could know that unless she was somehow affiliated with them. I've got to find her," his voice trailed off as they turned the corner.

Without hesitation, I thrust myself over the edge of the window, and into the street below. I took off once again, in the opposite direction of the Nobodies. _/ can go to a closed store, and spend the night there. Then in the morning, I'll figure something out._ I turned into the loud street where the nightclubs were situated, and ducked into the closest one.

Inside, the only thing I could make out in the dizzying strobe lights was the mesh of bodies against one another. The music pounded in her ears, and made the floor beneath my feet shake. I hesitantly pushed my way through the sweaty bodies until I reached the bar.

"Whadaya want?" I looked up, startled, to see a middle aged man with blonde hair and a toothpick protruding from his mouth. He looked gruff and short-tempered, judging by the way he tapped his finger against the counter and looked at her expectantly.

"Oh…. Uhh.. I don't want anything, thanks," I managed to stutter out. The man shook his head, and turned away.

"Actually! Ummm, I need a job," I said, standing up. The man turned slowly and speculated her. "

"How old are you, kid?"

"I'm almost seventeen. I promise I won't drink, and nobody will find out my age," I responded, looking at him expectantly. My heart thudded in my chest, and my hands gripped the counter.

"Oh come on Cid! You know you need the help," came a female voice from behind the man. He turned to a black haired woman clutching a beer. She raised an eyebrow and glanced at me.

"Can you handle the drinks and being groped on a regular bases?" she asked. I started. I knew absolutely nothing about drinks, but I wasn't about to pass up a chance at some money.

"I've handled worse things than being groped. How hard could it be to learn how to mix drinks anyway?"

She turned to Cid, and he shook his head disapprovingly.

"I don't know, Tifa."

"You're hired," Tifa interrupted. "Can you start tonight?" I nodded, and gave Tifa my name.

Within minutes I was dodging in and out of people, grabbing empty glasses and taking orders. Blood pulsed through my veins with excitement. _I can't believe I have a job! Now, I can save enough money to live on my own, hopefully._ I bobbed my head unconsciously to the music as I continued my rounds.

I couldn't believe I had been hired on the spot, I expected to be laughed at. Tifa gave me the uniform shirt, and showed me what to do. She was unbelievably understanding and kind, unlike Cid, who just muttered and repeatedly cleaned the counter. Neither asked why I had shown up so randomly, and I didn't intend to tell them.

The club continued to get more crowded, and I had to shove my way between all of the people that gathered on the dance floor. After about two hours, my head was pounding from the sheer volume of the music and the stuffiness of the room. How could Tifa and Cid stand to work here?

As I made my way to the bar, I noticed a flash of silver hair. Crap. I tried to turn in the other direction, grab some more trash, go to the bathroom, anything to get out of his sight. Of course, Cid was having none of that.

"Namine! Get your ass over here! I'm swamped!" he shouted, brandishing a mug. I sighed and slipped under the bar, feeling aquamarine eyes follow me the whole way.

"What would you like?" I asked the bottom of his black shirt, nervously tugging at my jeans.

"Just water is fine," he responded, still staring at me. I turned hastily, glad to get away for a second. And tripped. _Who the hell put that cord there?! _I stood up from my spot on the floor, my cheeks flaming as I tried to ignore the chuckles from silver-haired-boy. I handed him his water, accidentally making eye contact.

His eyes were the most beautiful color I had ever seen, and they sparkled with amusement. His face was chiseled and well…perfect, and he had dark rings under those beautiful eyes. I attempted to look away, but he grabbed my arm.

"You. You're the girl," he said in a deadly voice. I tried to look confused, I really did, but the only expression he read was fear. He loosened his grip slightly and I jerked my arm out of his grasp.

"I don't know what you're talking about." My voice was shaking and I pushed my bangs in front of my eyes.

He still continued to stare at me as I turned away and walked to the other end of the bar. I managed to stay out of range of him for a while, as he continued to look at me intently, only breaking his stare to have a conversation with Tifa. An eternity late, Tifa announced that the bar was closing.

"So, who was that guy with the silver hair?" I asked her as indifferently as possible as we scrubbed tables at the now empty club.

"Oh, that is Riku. He is one of my longtime friends. Quite the guy actually, I wouldn't want to be on his bad side," she replied, blowing hair from her eyes.

"Why?"

"Well, you can't tell anyone, but you've heard of the Nobodies right?" Stupid question. I nodded and urged her to continue.

"Riku is part of the Nobodies. Both his parents and his brother were killed by the Darkness a few years ago. Since then, he is out for blood."

I looked at the table, my hand shaking. So Riku was a Nobody. Now that I confirmed my suspicion, I was suddenly more terrified. If Riku hated Ansem so much, there was no way he would be friendly to me, his daughter. It looked like I was on his bad side already.

"He's quite the looker, I must say," Tifa continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil. I laughed and nodded; there was no way I could argue with that.

"You should see the girls that come here asking for him. I guess I understand it, but he's so…. distant. I could never date someone so aloof." I followed Tifa to the back room, where she gathered her things.

"There is a blanket in that back closet," she said as she made her way out. I froze and glanced at her. She only winked and tossed me some keys.

"Lock the place up, so no one comes and kidnaps you in the night. See you tomorrow." With that, she was gone.

I grinned, and grabbed the blankets. I was going to get to sleep inside tonight. Never would I have expected that I could sleep somewhere safe on my first night out alone. I locked the bar and curled up in a booth.

* * *

"Namine?!! Are you here?!"

"Mrrphh!" I sat up quickly, and spotted Tifa banging on the door from outside. I stood up and made my way over.

"How was your night?" she asked as she pulled off her coat.

"Better than I expected…. but, how did you know?" I folded up the blanket and shoved it in the closet.

"Why else would you come to work at a club at seventeen years old and still have a decent living situation?" she replied, raising an eyebrow. I remained silent. "You are welcome to stay here until you get on your feet again, so long as you help out, hun."

_Maybe everything really would be okay._

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_ woohooo! chapter 2. i'm so excited to write the third chapter, so that will definitely be up soon! let me know what you think!_


	3. Chapter 3

Wow, thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciated it! I put some tidbits of background information in this chapter, a hint of things to come. I also made it a little longer. I hope to have chapter four up by at least monday.

Let me know what you think!

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The club was packed, to say the least. The dance floor was filled and all the stools were occupied. I rushed around, frantically taking orders and cleaning up. Tifa mentioned the busiest night was Friday, predictably, but busy was an understatement. The door constantly chimed and the doorman was doing his best to sort out the line that formed outside.

"Ooy! Riku!" I heard someone shout, and I glanced up in panic. There he was, in a tight black jacket and dark jeans, a smirk on his face. He was followed by the red haired man that was with him the night he followed me, and two blondes, one with a mullet, the other with hair that looked like he just climbed out of a convertible.

I casually made my way to the other end of the room, and to my annoyance, they followed me. Well, there was only one booth left. Yeah, that justifies the stalker attitude. I cleaned up the booth, turning away as they sat down. I spotted Riku gesture at me to the other three, and I did my very best to disappear into the crowd.

"Namine! We need more dishwashing soap! Git your ass to that little shop! I ain't gonna have no dirty mugs, ya hear?!" Cid shouted while juggling five different drinks in his arms. I laughed and nodded, heading out. At least I could get out of Riku's sight.

The only people I shared the street with were a few bums, and the occasional shopper. Most stores had closed down, so I cut through an alley to reach one I spotted with lights on.

"Found you, bitch!" Just like that, I was being grabbed from behind by a man as I recognized as Saix, who happened to be affiliated with—guess who? Ansem. "I should kill yeh now, for running away. You know what we call that? Treachery."

"I'm no member of your gang. I am bound to you by blood only," I gasped under his grip. His thick arms tightened around my neck, and I shoved my elbow into his groin.

"Fuck!" His grip loosened, and I yanked myself free, turning around to slug him. My fist never reached his face, as it was yanked by someone behind me, and I found myself thrown against a wall. Pain exploded in my back and head, and I struggled to stay conscious.

"You think you can get away that easy, do ya?" came another voice, Marluxia. I growled and kicked out at him, causing him to curse. "Oh, you're gonna get it now!"

A boot headed for my face, and I ducked, and it came in contact with the top of my head. I let out a shout of pain. _Come on, Namine. You've fought off these men for your whole life. Show them what you are made of. _I rolled to my feet, and landed a punch squarely in the jaw of Marluxia, and then took off.

The street was one big blur and everything swam before my vision. I pushed on, faster, faster, with no idea where I was going. Something snatched the hood of my shirt, and I gasped as I was pulled into a side alley; my back was pressed against the chest of someone much taller than me, and a large hand clamped over my mouth.

"Quiet."

I struggled, throwing my head back to contact with his face. I heard a groan and felt the pain shooting down my spine. The hand came off my mouth, wrapped around me, and pulled me to face the stranger on the ground.

I found myself face to face with Riku. He continued to hold me tightly against his chest and had his head craned toward the entrance of the alley where we were hiding. I froze when I heard footsteps go pounding by, and clutched Riku's jacket.

The footsteps disappeared, and Riku let out a sigh of relief. I keeled over suddenly, the rush of pain in my stomach suddenly unbearable.

"Hey hold on, hold on…" The last thing I saw before I blacked out was those beautiful eyes.

* * *

"Move! Move out of the way! Get out of the way, dammit!"

_Ow ow ow ow. _I moaned in pain as I came to, buying my face into that warm jacket. Riku carried me through the bar, one hand under my back and the other hooked beneath my knees. He laid me down on what I assumed was an empty booth. I heard the sound of frantic voices, recognizing Tifa.

"What the hell happened?! Namine!?" She prodded me with her hand, and I swatter her away.

"She was attacked. Do you have a first aid kit?" I heard that amazingly smooth voice answer. I struggled to open my eyes, and saw that Riku was leaning over me intently, his hair falling in his eyes. Behind him, the red haired man was studying me.

"Was she…?"

"Yeah. Fuckers." Riku shook his head, and lifted my hair from my forehead. His hand was freezing, and I shied away from the touch. Tifa appeared then with a first aid kit, and I felt the bottom of my shirt being lifted up.

"Holy shit. What the hell are those?" I heard the red haired guy ask, and I winced. They must have spotted the bruises and scars from living in Ansem's household. I tried to roll away from their stares, and found a hand on my shoulder. Riku held me still before pressing a wet cloth to my head. The pain was unbearable, and the world went black once again.

* * *

"_Daddy? Daddy, why are you crying?" A three year old me peered into the face of the man I trusted with my clean clothes and oatmeal with the raisins in it every morning. His head was in his hands, and he glanced up at me. _

"_Baby, sometimes even grown ups are sad sometimes." _

"_But Daddy, why are you sad? Did someone take something from you?" _

"_Yes, Nami. They took something very important to me."_

_&&&&_

_I was laying on the ground, my hands clutched around my head in fear. The shouts of men upstairs made me shake with fear. There had been another raid, the police's attempt to round up my fathers men, for a reason that was still unknown to me at the tender age of six._

"_Let's check down here," came a voice, and then footsteps on the stairs that led to my hiding place. I crouched down farther behind the heater in the basement, trying my best to still my breathing._

_Even though my father yelled and hit me, at six years old he was the only family I knew. I breathed a sigh of relief when the footsteps retreated._

_&&&&_

_My thirteenth birthday, something that was supposed to be exciting. I, however, found myself in the attic of yet another home, or hiding place, as I called. _

_Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. The rhythmic sounds of my fist contacting with the punching bag brought a sense of calm. I repeatedly jabbed and kicked, because I wanted to be ready for the next time my dad came home drunk or from a close fight._

_That night as I laid in my bed listening to the sounds of drunken men in my living room, I couldn't help but wonder what other kids did on their thirteenth birthday. Did they get cake, and presents, and a party filled with matching plates and hats? Or were there kids out in the world who spent their thirteenth birthday like me, hiding?_

_&&&&_

_School for me was a break. Most kids despised waking up early and coming; for me it was a chance to get away. I had plenty of friends at the start of high school, girls to giggle with at lunch, and guys to stare at longingly when they weren't looking. These friendships had unfortunate limits though. How could I ever hope to get close to someone when I couldn't even bring them to my house for fear of finding out my secret?_

_My teachers were clueless to say in the least. The questions I commonly got when they pulled me aside in the hallways were "Are you getting asleep, Namine? You look like you stay up all night." I would nod my head and smile, because how could I tell my teachers that no, in fact, I was not getting enough sleep? That I spend nights making sure that when my father comes home drunk or drugged, he doesn't go outside and create a ruckus? That it's impossible to sleep after you have been kicked in the stomach repeatedly, because it feels like your torso is going to explode?_

_No. There was no way I could say these things. So I nodded, and smiled._

_&&&&_

* * *

"I can't believe you brought her back here! What if she is part of them? What if she runs away and tells them how to find us? We could be done for!"

I moaned and rolled over, covering my ears with my hands. I recognized the voice of the red haired man.

"Axel, what were we supposed to do? Chill out man, the first place she is going if she seems suspicious is jail." This second voice was one I didn't know, it was young and calm.

"But! But, what if they find some way to talk to her? Roxas, this is so dangerous! Urgh, I can't believe this. You guys are sooo stupid!"

A third voice caused my heart to skip. "What if, Axel, she was trying to get away? Are we supposed to just throw her back onto the streets?" It was Riku, I knew for sure, and I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids.

"She's waking up, guys," came a quieter, deep voice. My eyes fully came into focus, and I saw Riku sitting in the chair next to the bed I was laying in, and a very irate Axel standing behind next to him. A blonde, who I figured was Roxas, leaned casually next to the silver haired man who had spoken.

Riku turned to me, his eyes hard. I sat up quickly, wondering where I was, only to promptly fall back onto the sheets, clutching my head.

"Who are you?" Axel asked me harshly, and Roxas shot him a dirty look.

"Tell me who you are, and then I'll talk," I said weakly, my head spinning. Roxas smirked, and Axel raised an eyebrow.

"Christ, she's feisty. Just what we need right now," he said. Riku rubbed his face with his hand.

"Guys, why don't you leave for a minute, and I'll talk to Namine," he said hoarsely, as though he hadn't had sleep in a while. Axel let Roxas pulled him from the room, and the silver haired teen followed silently.

I examined my fingernails nervously as Riku turned those eyes on me again, running a hand through his hair.

"You have some explaining to do." I looked up at him, and felt as though he was reading right past the confident look I kept on my face into the pain of my heart.

"I won't tell you anything until you explain some things to me," I said, my voice shaking. Riku rolled his eyes to the ceiling, and took a deep breath.

"You know the Darkness symbol." He turned to me then, a skeptical expression on his face.

"So do you." I let out an exasperated sigh then, there was no way I was going to get anything straight from him.

"Are you guy's part of the Nobodies?" I asked finally, making sure to keep my eyes on him. I read his expression carefully, he looked as though he was thinking his answer over carefully.

"Because," I continued, "Only the Nobodies know about the black heart."

He laughed then, bitterly. "You seem to be quite the expert yourself on the gangs of this city."

"That's what happens, when your father is a gang leader." I looked at his eyes sharply, challenging him to believe me. He looked away finally, to the window. I tried to ignore how his hair sparkled in the sunlight of the new morning.

"So now that I've explained myself, it's your turn," I stated, watching him.

_This was going to be a long day._

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	4. Chapter 4

So basically I read over my previous chapters and realized that my grammer and spelling sucked. So hopefully this one will be a little better. Thanks for the reviews, everyone!!

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"So, let me get this straight. You ran away from the match after you saw me, because you were scared I thought you were a gang member? And then you went and got a job at Thunder, the most popular nightclub in Twilight Town, thinking you could just live on your own forever?"

Riku, as you can see, had managed to get more out of me than I wanted. Meanwhile, I knew nothing about him. None. Nada.

Zip.

"Wow, thanks for making my life plan sound completely ridiculous," I muttered, picking at the threads of the blanket. Riku frowned, still looking at me.

"Why? Why did you run away? If you really hate Ansem as much as you say, why didn't you just talk to me? You made this far more complicated than necessary." His voice was cold and condescending.

I was silent, still picking at the blanket, the thread pile growing larger and larger. How much could I trust this person I had just met? Either he was completely blind to the fear Ansem instilled into me, or he wanted me to describe to him just exactly what Ansem would do if he came to find me talking to Riku about how to plot against him. I shuddered at the thought.

"Yo! Riku, get your ass down here!" Axel's voice carried through the door. Riku sighed, and I looked up at him.

"Follow me," he grunted, and pulled open the door. I wobbled to my feet, and followed him down the hallway of a large house to the stairs. Each room we passed was a bedroom with a bathroom attached, each littered with different possessions. The stairs were winding down to an open bottom floor, which included a kitchen, living room, and off to the side, a room with exercise equipment.

"Is this where you live?" I asked, glancing around.

Riku nodded. "This is the Nobody headquarters, I guess you could call it. We all live together for the most part, so we can plan quickly if something happens."

I laughed bitterly. "I guess you must believe at least something I said if you brought me here."

He stopped, and I almost ran into his back. He turned around, glancing down at me through silver bangs.

"This is where you wanted to be, am I right?" he asked.

Obviously, he was no idiot. I'm not sure if this scared me or made me relieved.

* * *

"What did you want?" Riku asked, leaning against the wall. I stood awkwardly near him, rubbing my arm. Around me, there were about seven people, all dressed in various clothing, and with distinctive faces.

Axel was reclining on a couch, Roxas on the floor beside him, and the silver haired guy I recognized from earlier sat in the chair opposite them. The blonde with the mullet stood against a wall, his guitar clutched in his hands. A blonde girl with a hard face sat cross legged on the coffee table. A brunette with shaggy hair sat at the table, cleaning a disturbingly long sword. A spiky haired blonde stood beside him.

All of them had their eyes turned to me.

"Well, I would like to know what the hell is going on here, and I'm pretty sure everyone else does too." Riku refused to look at me, and turned his gaze to Axel.

"We found a new member." I shot my head up. What?! I was going to get to help the Nobodies?! Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was surprised. Leon froze in his sword cleaning, and Axel's jaw dropped.

"How can you trust her?! She could be a spy, or worse!" He shouted, pointing an accusing finger at me. My heart raced, and I ignored the blood rushing to my face, stepping forward.

"How about you let me talk before accusing me," I spat, glaring at him. He simply glared back, green eyes blazing.

"You want to know what's going on? Fine. I am Ansem's daughter." I ignored the gasps from around the room.

"Because of this, I hate him more than any of you. If you want to throw me out because you think I'm a spy or whatever, fine. You would only be loosing your most dedicated fighter and best source of information."

The room was silent. I took a deep breath to calm my raising heart.

Then, by some miracle, Axel smiled.

"I knew she was a feisty one."

Roxas snorted, Leon smirked, and Riku shook his head. I just about died with relief.

* * *

Guitar boy, I figured out, was named Demyx, and the silver haired guy was Zexion. The one other female was Larxene, and she seemed to fit in with the guys just fine. The leader of the Nobodies was Leon, and his closest mate, the spiky blonde, was named Cloud.

To how they ended up in the Nobodies, I still had no idea. Since I was stubborn in my past, I suppose they had a reason to be stubborn about theirs.

I was to sleep on the couch that was in the corner of Riku's room, to both of our annoyance, because of the limited space. Riku, I found out, liked his seclusion, and was about as cold and closed up as any person I had ever met.

The house, luckily, was very close to Thunder. It was nestled in an alley, with a door that blended with the dark walls on either side. Only Tifa and Cid knew of where the Nobodies lived, and they were closely affiliated with them.

More specifically, Tifa was closely affiliated with Cloud. Cough…

I made my way quickly to the club that night, with Axel and Roxas next to me.

"I still don't understand how you got a job there! Tifa wouldn't let me be DJ and I even offered her Cloud's number! I don't understand," Axel muttered. Roxas glanced at me and we both burst into laughter. Axel, with his wild and excited personality, would not make the best DJ.

"Wow, thanks for the support guys."

"I promise if I get to DJ by some miracle, I'll let you help me, alright? As long as you don't, you know, touch anything," I said as Roxas and I fell into another fit of laughter.

Thunder was packed, as usual. Cid was running around shouting orders, and Tifa was chewing a kid out for spilling a drink all over her shirt. I made my way to the bar, and pulled my blonde hair into a bun. Axel and Roxas sat down at bar stools, Roxas surveying the girls on the floor, and Axel surveying the drinks behind me.

I tried my best to ignore the pain of the scrape on my head, and the ache of my stomach as I carted drinks back and forth. Riku and Demyx came in a little while later, and talked in hush voices to Tifa. After they exchanged new updates, they made their way over to where I was working.

"Yooo, Namine, hit me up with one of those shots, please?" Demyx said, plopping down on a chair with a flourish. I grinned and handed him one, ignoring the fact that he was hardly older than me. He drank it with vigor, while Riku looked at him skeptically.

"Ohh yeah. Niiiice," the blonde said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair.

"What were you guys talking to Tifa about?" I asked, wiping a table.

"Oh, just checking that she hasn't spotted any of the gang near here since last night. The worst thing for us would be for them to figure out where we stay," Demyx said, winking at a sluttish looking brunette. I looked down at the table. What if I had lead them right to the Nobodies? I really couldn't afford to put anyone else in danger.

Demyx, spotting my face, patted me on the shoulder. "Don't get your panties in a bunch about it. We can take them," he added, before following the brunette to the dance floor.

"You want anything?" I asked Riku, who shook his head and got up. I watched him disappear into the crowd. Ever since Riku found out my true identity, he had been nothing but cold to me.

"Hey Namine, if you want you can take a break for a bit. I know you're still hurting," Tifa said behind me. I smiled at her and nodded.

"Thanks Tifa. You've been so great to me, its ridiculous."

"No problem, hun. I know what it's like to have a sad excuse for a family." I looked up, surprised. I guess Demyx and Riku told her who I really was. She smiled, and walked away to help another customer.

I found Axel sitting at a table, looking disinterestedly at a girl with short red hair, who was sitting wayyy to close to him. He spotted me, and hurriedly got up, leaving the girl still talking.

"Thank God I found you! I though I was going to die of boredom!" he gasped when he reached me.

I grinned and pulled him to the dance floor. "Come on, Axel, lets make these sluts jealous," I said. He laughed and allowed me to drag him into the mess of bodies. The song was fast paced techno, and we both thrashed around and bobbed our heads like fools. The people next to us who were practically have sex glared, and moved away. Axel caught my eyes, and we broke out into hysterics.

For the next few songs, we did our most annoying dancing, ranging from the two person conga line to renditions of the lawn mower and sprinkler. Finally, Riku pushed his way over to us, and yanked us out.

"Come on guys. We should be heading back to the house."

* * *

Back in the quiet of Riku's room, I rummaged through my few clothes until I found a pair of short black shorts and a large tee shirt. I sat on the couch, waiting for Riku to get out of the shower so I could change.

When he finally appeared, clad in only boxers and sweatpants, wet hair dripping down his perfect chest, I tried my absolute best to not drool. Whose idea was it to put me in Riku's room again?

As I passed him to the bathroom, I noticed a long, deep scar that reached from his shoulder to his fingertips. Then he covered it with his towel, and threw himself on his bed.

When I came out, Riku was still laying there, on top of his sheets, staring up at the ceiling blankly. He didn't move when I re-entered, only asked, "Did you change the bandage on your stomach?"

"No, I can't reach the knot in the back," I murmured, rubbing uncertainly at where the bandage bulged out of my shirt. Without another word, Riku walked over to me, snatching new gauze as he passed his dresser, and reached for my shirt. When I shied away, he glanced at me.

"What?" he asked, his hand still on the bottom of my shirt. I looked down at the ground. I felt his other hand on my shoulder, and he gently turned me so I was facing away from him. He pulled up the back of my shirt and I shuddered as cold fingers touched my skin.

"You're so skittish," he murmured as he untied the knot.

"…Thanks for stating the obvious," I muttered, crossing my arms. He pulled the bandage from around my waist and chucked it into the trash, before pressing a cloth with disinfectant against it.

The scrap burned horribly, but I didn't flinch. Riku rewrapped the wound, and threw away the dirty rag, before going back and laying down on his bed.

"Um… good night I guess," I said uncertainly, before turning off the lights. Riku was still silent, and I let out a sigh of annoyance. I heard him sit up in bed, flicking on the lamp next to him. His hair was still slightly damp, and his eyes glowed in the soft light.

He pulled out what looked like an old book from under his pillow, and flipped through it silently.

"How did you get that scar?" My voice sounded quiet and scared against my own ears. He glanced up, and then down at the scar on his arm.

"From the same man who made you afraid to be touched," he said bluntly, turning back to his book.

_Wow. Way to be vague._


	5. Chapter 5

chapter 5!! the longest chapter yet.. wooh!!

thanks for all the reviews! keep em coming.

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"_MOVE MOVE MOVE!! What the HELL do you think you're doing, girl? MOVE!" His furious screams pierced my ears, but I couldn't tear my eyes from the scene before me. They never stood a chance, that couple. Who could defend themselves when aroused from sleep? The blood was minimal, but their faces, oh their faces. It hadn't been my choice to come, but Ansem said we would need to move after this raid, and he didn't want to come back for me. Why he didn't leave my ten year old self to be found by someone with more heart, I did not know. _

'_Wait in the car, Namine. We'll be out in a few minutes'. Why, oh why hadn't I listened to him? The screams of a child around myr age brought me from the refuge of the car; when I spotted his beaten body and tear filled eyes, my own heart shattered. He was no more than eleven, and already his whole life was torn from him; his mother and father were killed right before his eyes. And unfortunately, mine. _

"_GOD DAMMIT BITCH! GET IN THE DAMN CAR!" I vaguely remember being grabbed from around the waist, and dragged from the scene, my fists beating uselessly against my taker._

_Why? Why was that boy's parents robbed from him when he loved them so much, and my father seemed perfectly safe? He was no father to me. _

* * *

"Namine, wake up." The large hand shook me relentlessly, and my arm flew out from under the warm sheets.

"Mmph!" The hand retreated, and I allowed my eyes to open a bit. Riku stood over me, clutching his nose. "Sheesh, I'm getting you an alarm clock." I blushed and sat up slowly.

"Sorry… I'm not.. a morning person," I muttered, rubbing my face. Riku sighed, muttering something like 'apparently', and I glared.

"We're going to the Twilight Tower to train, and Axel wanted you to come, and show us what you can do." Riku pulled a black tee shirt over his lean torso, and slid into black pants. My heart soared at this, I trained all the time when Ansem wasn't home. Now I could show everybody what I was made of. I jumped up and grabbed a pair of black leggings and a loose shirt, sprinting into the bathroom.

"I'll be ready in a sec!"

I spied my image in the mirror; a girl who was all skin and bones, and blonde hair that was beginning to look scraggly. The scrapes from the other day were finally disappearing, but when I pulled up my shirt, all I could see was scars. They covered my stomach and back, creating a pattern of white lines across my body. Disgusting.

I ran a hand through my hair uselessly. It was so long and knotted, even after a good half hour conditioning in the shower. It needed to be cut. Now. I pulled open every door and drawer in search of scissors, and when I found them, I held them up triumphantly.

"Hair, you're going down."

Ten minutes later, I was following the gang outside, my hair pulled in a high ponytail, shaggy bangs falling in my eyes. I spied a dozen or so motorcycles leaning in the garage. Ohh no.

"Nami, you go with Riku until we get the spare fixed up," Leon said, climbing on his bike. I stood there nervously as Riku climbed onto his equally big bike.

"Are you coming?" He asked, glancing up as he started the engine. I glanced around for a bus stop, a normal bike, a car perhaps? Anything that would keep me from getting on that monster.

"Oh come on, you won't die, I promise. Don't worry, I know CPR," Riku chuckled when I rolled my eyes.

"You better know CPR," I muttered, climbing on behind him. I couldn't help but notice how hard his abs were when I wrapped my arms around his waist. And his hair, oh man it smelled amazing. I frowned. No, I was falling for this conceited, cold jerk.

We sped off, and I instantly clutched onto Riku tighter. The wind blew our hair everywhere, and buildings rushed by us. I let out a laugh, this was so fun! Riku turned slightly in the seat, and his hair flew in my face.

"Mmph kid! Your hair!" was all I managed. He shook his head, trying to hide a grin, and turned forward again. When we finally stopped in front of the Twilight Tower, I fell off the bike in surprise. My legs were shaking and my newly chopped hair was tangled.

"She's alive!" Axel cheered, pulling me up. "Usually, nobody survives their first motorcycle ride with Riku without at least puking!"

Riku didn't say anything, only rolled his eyes, before walking into the black fortress before us.

Twilight Tower was the super scraper of Twilight Town. It was black and stood about 60 stories, with a large roof at the top. That was where we were headed, and when we arrived, I leaned over the railing in awe. The sight was amazing; the whole city could be seen from here, and people faintly resembled ants.

Axel and Roxas were busy examining their rifles behind me, while Cloud pulled out mats from against the wall, Leon unfolding them. Demyx, Larxene, and Zexion stood chatting near me, and Riku was setting up a large punching bag.

"Yo, Namine, you ever fought anyone before?" Axel called to me, and I headed over to where he and Roxas stood. I couldn't help but grin as I looked around.

"Yeah, I have…," I said, "Is this your training spot or something?"

"Sure is, it's the most private place in Twilight Town. Most people don't even know how to get up here, much less want to," Roxas said, twirling an unloaded gun in his fingers.

"Come on, guys. Let's get going," Leon called, and I turned to see Larxene standing on the mat, stretching her arms. "Namine, you're going to hand battle Larxene, just to show us what you've got, alright?"

I nodded to the brunette, my heart thudding. I walked over to the mat, Axel right behind me. He leaned into me, his voice quiet against my ear.

"Larxene is full of moves, but if you let her attack first, she'll tire out almost instantly," he muttered, smacking me on the back. I nodded, and turned to Larxene. She stood in a fighting stance, legs slightly apart, her face one of absolute concentration.

I stood in front of her, my arms relaxed at my sides, legs bent. We stood like this for a while, until Demyx was reduced to an awkward coughing fit. I continued to stand relaxed as I saw Larxene getting impatient. It was obvious she wanted me to make the first move, but I was pretty positive she wasn't going to stand there for much longer.

Boy was I right. Suddenly, she launched at me, her foot out, aimed to connect with my stomach. My right fist came up almost instantly, blocking her leg. I grabbed her arm as it swung forward, and hooked my hand under her knee. Before I could flip her to the ground, she twisted in my grip, and shoved me backwards. We both collapsed to the ground, struggling against each other.

She was strong and fast, standing up as soon as she regained her balance, and brought her leg out again. I just barely managed to duck, swinging my own fist out. She blocked it, and tried to connect her elbow with my stomach. I jumped back, and aimed a kick at her knees. She dodged, and we started again.

We continued to block each other, evenly matched. We were both sweating after a few minutes, and Larxene's face was growing more frustrated. Finally, I found an opening, and hooked my leg between hers, flipping her to the ground. I pinned her there for a second, before standing up, wiping my brow.

I heard Axel and Demyx clapping, and Roxas whistled. Cloud was grinning, and Leon looked satisfied.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked, stepping forward. I shrugged, straightening my shirt.

"I taught myself." _I had plenty of times to practice my defense against my 'father'_.

Cloud, still grinning, tossed me a wooden sword. "Let's see how you can do with this," he said.

I spotted Riku stand up from his position against the railing, grabbing another sword as he sauntered up to me. His face was blank, his shoulders and arms relaxed.

"Riku is one of the best at weapon combat. Watch out, he isn't afraid to smack you with that thing either," Cloud added, backing against the wall. Riku shook his shoulders, and looked straight at me. Those eyes, they were full of fire. They blazed like an explosion, the entire heat of them focused on me. I raised my sword across my torso automatically, a defensive stance. I barely had time to let out a shaky breath before Riku lunged at me.

SMACK! The sound of wood on wood was like angels singing for me. I hardly managed to block the first attack before he pulled away and launched another one. Riku was strong with his hits, each one that connected with my sword sending vibrations down my arm. We rotated quickly, the attacks never ceasing. I found that I was solely protecting myself, never once launching my own attack.

I distinctly felt myself stepping back with each block, and struggled to stop moving my feet. For a split second, I spotted an opening and attacked. Riku blocked it easily, throwing my arm back. I just managed to duck as another swing came near my head.

I briefly caught sight of Riku's face, and wanted nothing more than crawl under a rock. He continued to advance, swinging that sword with such fury and grace I could barely keep up. Finally, he managed to fling the sword out of my hands, and I immediately ducked. He continued to advance, and as a last resort, I kicked him in the ankle.

"ARGH!"

I snatched the sword from his grasp, but he only lunged at me. We both went tumbling backwards onto the mat, me flying wild punches at his face while he pinned me down.

"Alright guys, stop. STOP!" Something grabbed the back of my shirt, and I was pulled away from Riku. My arms continued to jab at the air, and my feet kicked out. That bastard! He attacked me!

"What the hell was that for?!" I shouted, still struggling against Cloud's annoyingly strong grip. Riku, who was wrapped under Leon's arm, sent his piercing glare at me.

"You're the one who kicked me!"

"You were going crazy! It's just training!"

"Alright guys… calm down."

"At least I don't have to resort to combat to defend myself!"

"I could kick your pretty little ass in combat any day! Do you want to go for real?"

"Guys….."

"HA! I'd like to see you try."

"ME TOO!"

"GUYS! CHILL!!!"

We both ceased our shouting match at Leon's booming voice. He let go of Riku, who crossed his arms indignantly; Cloud only tightened his grip on me when I let out an animal like growl.

"You both need to calm down. Riku, you were going a little out of control. She's not as practiced as you."

"Hey!"

"And Namine," he continued, "You didn't need to resort to kicking."

"Am I just supposed to let him kill me?" I muttered under my breath, tugging at Cloud's arm.

"Namine, Riku, you go back to the house for now. You both have done enough today," Leon said, turning back to everyone else. Cloud let go of me, finally, and I continued my glare war with Riku.

"I'm not getting on a bike with her," he argued, pointing at me.

"Afraid I'm going to kick your ass while you're driving?"

"I'm not getting on a bike with her."

Leon ran a hand through his hair, his eyes rolled up to the heavens.

"Namine, you can take Roxas' bike. It should be small enough for you," he said, tossing me a key. EEE!!! I was getting to drive a motorcycle!! I couldn't help but grin, until I spotted Riku's stupid perfect little face. Jerk.

So after my gruff five-minute instructions on motorcycles from Riku, we were off through the streets of Twilight. I had no problem keeping up with the jerk, although I have to admit the silver hair swaying in the breeze was a little distracting.

BANG! Riku swerved suddenly down an alley, and I followed. I saw him reach into his back pocket, extracting a small gun. I glanced behind us to see none other than Marluxia, another one of Ansem's stupid lackeys, in close pursuit.

Riku pulled up next to me and tossed me a pistol. The weapon shook in my hands as I fought to steady the motorcycle with only one hand. Riku was looking behind us, his gun pointed at Marluxia.

"You're in the wrong territory, ass!" he shouted over the wind. Marluxia threw back his head and laughed as he gained on us with his bike.

"I don't see your name on it, kid," he said snidely, and fired his gun again. I let out a small scream as it whizzed past me. Riku fired back, narrowly missing Marluxia's head.

"Riku! TURN!" I shouted, spotting a dead end. We swerved sharply, and I could see the ants crawling on the wall we almost collided with.

"LOAD THE GUN!" he shouted back at me, still half turned in his seat to face Marluxia. I pulled back the lever on the gun, and aimed backwards. The shot caused my hand to jerk, and I almost lost control of the bike. I heard a screeching sound behind, and Riku let out an animal like shout.

Marluxia was spinning in circles on his bike, the front tire punctured. My bullet, that was my bullet!

"TAKE THAT SUCKAHHH!!" I shouted, and we sped away.

The house was just in the distance, but we took the long way around to avoided giving away our hiding spot. We finally pulled into the garage, and shut off our bikes.

"Nice job," Riku said, breathless, as he attempted to straighten out his hair, "For someone who kicks out of defense."

"Gee, thanks," I muttered. Riku's phone began ringing then, and he flipped it open with his back to me.

"Yeah…..no, we're fine……yeah, Namine blew his tire…..okay, sure. Bye."

"At least you gave me credit," I said, pulling off my shoes as we walked into the house. Riku whipped his head around.

"You are impossible, you know that?" he said, removing his own boots.

"I'm impossible? I'm impossible? Says the heartless block of ice." My voice shook, who did he think he was? I didn't need an egotistical airhead to tell me what I was.

"At least my family isn't a bunch of killers."

SMACK. My hand connected with his face before I could think. He looked surprised, raising an arm to his reddening cheek. I almost felt bad for the mark I left. Almost.

"Don't you define me by the family I was born into," I seethed, my hands clenched at my sides. "I didn't choose the life I was given…..and neither did you. And I am doing my _very_ best to prove myself. So lay off."

I stomped up the stairs, leaving a still shocked Riku in the doorway.

_Who needs him?_


	6. Chapter 6

_woooohooo!! update! this chapter actually took me forever, because i couldn't figure out how to end it. i hope you all like it, and thanks to everyone that reviewed!!!! i love getting any kind of feedback. oh and i guess i'll put up that stupud disclaimer now so i dont get arrested or something._

DISCLAIMER: i don't own kingdom hearts, but this plot is completly original. so leave me alone.

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_Thud Thud Thud._ The constant beat of my fists echoed in the silent house. Through the sweat that ran down my cheek I could feel the handprint left there, throbbing. I shook my head and beat my fists harder.

I hadn't meant it. I hated myself for it, the way I directed my anger at the wrong people. But she, she was his daughter. The daughter of a _murderer_.

"Yo NAMINE!! I heard you took out Marluxia's tires!" I winced when I heard Axel's voice echo through the house. He peeked his head in the room and I did my best to look like I was completely focused on working out, and didn't want to be interrupted.

Didn't work.

"Woa hoo. What do we have here?" Axel peered into my face, and poked at the handprint. I only glared at him, punching the bag with slightly more force.

"What did you do to her to make her slap you?" Demyx asked from the doorway. I felt a pang of guilt as I thought of the encounter. Demyx's knack for knowing exactly what was going on could only be described as annoying. Not wanting to discuss it with either of them, I shoved my way past and slammed through the back door.

The porch of our house was secluded from the streets, and overlooked the winding tracks of the railroad. The sun was setting in the distance, and I leaned against the railing, my head in my hands.

* * *

"_Riku! RIKU!! Where are you?!" I remained in my hiding place in the bushes, trembling madly. I could still hear the shouts of the bad guys from our house, and in the distance, the wail of sirens. I stiffened when I heard approaching footsteps, and tucked my head deeper into my Lego t-shirt. _

"_Riku?Riku! Why didn't you come when I called you? We have to get out of here!" _

_Hands tugged at my armpits, pulling my huddled form from the hiding spot. I clutched my brother desperately, inhaling his scent, the scent of our house. I remember hearing him sob as he carried me away, away from the blood and police cars and the black car that started it all. Away from my parents._

_We stayed in a friend's apartment for a while. We had no close relatives, and our parents were always secretive about friends. In other words, we had nobody. I slept on the fold out couch with him, and late at night when he thought I was asleep, I could hear him crying._

_That was the year I figured out that my parents weren't gods, and that my brother wasn't the super hero I thought he was. They died so easily, right in front of my eyes. They screamed for mercy, screamed for me to run. Then they were gone. My brother got into drinking, and drugs after our family fell apart, and if possible, life fell apart even more. There were nights when he would come home completely trashed, yelling at me and stinking of sweet smoke. I lost weight rapidly, and hardly talked to anyone at school, to the point where teachers became concerned. They knew about the accident, but their sympathy was empty. They didn't really understand._

_Then, my thirteenth birthday came. I waited and waited in the new apartment we now lived in for my brother to return. He promised, promised that he would be back before dark with a cake and a surprise. Twilight came and went, and eventually I fell asleep at the kitchen table. Around two in the morning, a banging at the door woke me up. I answered it to two police officers, who escorted me to the station. _

_He was gone. Car accident, they said. Alcohol was involved. It was my birthday, I told them. I got more looks of sympathy, and a trip to the shelter. I ran away as soon as I could, and spent my day of aging sleeping in an abandoned car._

_Days and nights were spent stealing and running, running from the police and the teachers and various people who knew me. I ate whatever I could get my hands on, and slept wherever there was space. _

_That's when I found the Nobodies._

* * *

"Riku. Rikuuuuuuuu," I jolted awake to see that it was dark. Demyx was sitting on the chair next to where I had slumped, looking at me skeptically. I purposely avoided his gaze.

"Couldn't have you freezing to death out here, now could we?" he stated, leaning back in his chair. "So, are you doing to tell me what happened?"

"I'd rather not," I muttered, playing with the tape still wrapped around my knuckles.

"That's what she said," he said with a chuckle. "I was figuring you tried to swoon her with your undeniable charm, and got denied." He emphasized the 'denied' by smacking his hand across his face. I glared.

"Shut up. That's not what happened." I murmured, still refusing to completely meet his gaze. He shoved me with an arm.

"I was kidding, jeez. If anyone knows about denial, it's me." I fought a smirk and shrugged my shoulders in agreeance.

"Can't argue with you there," I said with a grin. He shot me such a pathetic glare that I couldn't help but chuckle. Demyx had this way of cheering people up, no matter how upset they were.

"So… what really happened?" he asked, softer now. I leaned back and ran a hand through my hair.

"I don't even know. One minute we were getting along fine, and the next I just lashed out," I winced, remember my harsh words.

"Does she know yet?" he asked, referring to the death of my parents. I shook my head, and then buried my face in my hands.

"Why don't you clue her in?"

I really didn't know. Maybe it was the fact that she was related to the man that destroyed my family. Or that, maybe, I just didn't want to look like a suffering fool in front of someone I barely knew.

"I dunno," I said finally. Demyx nodded, and stood up.

"Go easy on her, okay? It's not her fault."

That, of course, I knew, and was probably what bothered me the most. In my mind, it wasn't anyone's fault except for Ansem, and… me.

* * *

"Yo Riku, come on!" I was standing in the mirror, meticulously fixing my smooth hair. "Dude! Lets goooooo!"

"Dude! I actually care about what I look like!" I shouted back, imitating Axel's nagging. "Maybe you should try, you know, looking in the mirror once in a while!"

"Now that's the Riku I know," I heard Axel mutter to Roxas as they clambered up the stairs. "I was getting sick of this angsty, emotional Riku."

They burst through the door of the bathroom then, and Roxas grabbed me.

"Let's get going! I want to find that girl I saw the other night!" he said eagerly, pulling me down the stairs.

"Uh oh, Roxas has a cruuuushhhh," I laughed, earning a shove from him.

"You're just jealous!" he retorted. "because I can get girls without having to spend five hours in the bathroom." Axel snickered, and I slammed the door in his face.

Tonight we were making our regular trip to the club, where we would get updates from Tifa. Leon and Cloud were out at the bike shop, looking for something for Namine to ride on. Zexion and Demyx went off to a little pub downtown, where Demyx was performing on his guitar.

I still hadn't seen Namine since the afternoon. When I came in with Demyx after our talk, she had already left for her job. I was dreading seeing her; I had no idea how she would react.

The club was packed as usual. Roxas immediately shoved his way through the crowd, his spiky blond head searching for his new found obsession. Axel headed over to the bar, undoubtedly to find Namine, and I made sure to go in the opposite direction, towards the dance floor and booths.

I spotted Tifa immediately, and made my way over. She was balancing about six drinks on her tray, and set them down as soon as she spotted me.

"They got Marluxia," she said as soon I was in earshot. I grinned. "He was still struggling with his bike when the police arrived, after getting a call about gunshots. Who took out his tires?"

My grinned faded, and I glanced around.

"Namine didn't tell you?" I said, carefully. Tifa looked confused and shook her head.

"She didn't say a word to me or Cid when she came in, I figured she wasn't involved."

I shook my head. "She's the one who took out his tire." Tifa's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Why didn't she say something! Her first encounter, and already she got one of them! But she'll be in more danger now, since they've figured out who she is."

"They already know who she is, Tifa," I said, still glancing around. "She's Ansem's daughter."

The tray slipped from Tifa's hand then, and I just barely managed to catch it. "Oh my, it all makes sense now! No wonder they attacked her when she first came here."

I nodded, and sighed. "It puts her in even more danger. Ansem will be pissed."

"Why was she so mad then? I would be ecstatic if I managed to get someone I hated arrested." A pang ran through my stomach, and I shuffled my feet. Tifa put her hands on her hips, and leaned into me. I snatched the tray.

"I'll help you with these. You look swamped." She grabbed the tray back.

"Oh no, not until you tell me why she's so angry," Tifa said stubbornly, eyebrows raised in expectation. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"We kind of got in a fight after. That's all." Tifa continued to examine me carefully, and then shook her head.

"Alright, I'll take that. Keep an eye on her, and go enjoy yourself," she said, walking away.

I slumped into a chair. Almost immediately, I spotted a familiar girl with short brown hair heading towards me.

"Heyyyy Riku," she purred, sitting next to me.

"Hey Selphie, looking good tonight," I said, and smirked when she scooted closer. We had met a few days ago, when she managed to separate herself from her giggling friends to talk to me. I let her pull me onto the dance floor, glad for some distraction.

I nodded and pretended to be interested in what she was saying while she grinded against me, all the while keeping an eye out for a familiar blonde. When she moved in to kiss me, I didn't fight it, and soon found myself forgetting all about Namine.

We stayed on the dance floor for a while, before retreating to a booth. I ordered a few shots for myself and Selphie got a beer. We were underage, but Tifa still brought the drinks to us. I could slowly feel my shoulders relaxing and mind buzzing with each shot, and didn't hesitate to push Selphie against the wall and catch her lips with mine.

Finally, a redhead came up and separated us, pulling a giggling Selphie away from me. I ordered a few more drinks, gazing around. I spotted a blonde head pushing through the crowd, and sat up a little. Namine slammed the three shots down and went to walk away.

I grabbed her arm before thinking, and she whipped around.

"_What?_" she snapped, wrenching her arm out of my grip.

"Woa chill," I muttered, grabbing a shot and downing it. She snorted in disgust.

"I'm not the one getting wasted," she muttered, stalking away. I could barely hear her though; the whole room was spinning around me. Without logical thinking, which had left me a while ago, I stood to follow her. She looked so radiant under those lights, and I grabbed her.

"Riku! I'm at work. Leave me alone," she shouted above the music. My hand slid up her arm. What the hell was I doing?? I couldn't make myself stop, she smelled so good. I jerked to my senses a bit when she shoved me off her.

"Urgh! Riku, you're drunk! I don't care how sexy you are, I won't be your slut," she snarled. "Go home."

I stood there in shock when she stalked away.

_What **was **I doing?_

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uhh oh, riku blames himself. review please!!!! i'll update ASAP.


	7. Chapter 7

**AHH SORRY GUYS!! i forgot to mention that last chapter was in riku's POV. most likely that won't happen again, so now it is back in NAMINE'S POV. so sorry about the confusion there!**

**thank you for all the reviews!! i got so excited at every one. this story is going to get mroe interesting i promise, i'm so excited for the upcoming chapters. please review and give me feedback!! i love it.**

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**NAMINE's POV**

"I'm out, Tifa," I called back to the bar. The black haired girl glanced up from the piles of receipts in front of her and nodded.

"Alright! See you tomorrow!" she shouted back, waving. I grabbed my jacket and opened the door cautiously. The streets were still busy, even though it was nearly two in the morning. It was prime party night, and I stayed late until the flow lessened. Now as I stepped outside, I still was dodging people on the sidewalks.

Back at the house, everything was relatively quiet. Demyx was bent over a notebook with music notes scribbled all over it, and Cloud stood idly in the kitchen. I passed him to grab water from the fridge, and he glanced at me.

"How was work?" he asked quietly, sipping water from a glass I hadn't noticed him holding.

"Usual. Sluts and horny frat boys demanding drinks they really can't handle, and constant cleaning of the tables since nobody seems to have any sense of hygiene these days," I muttered, grinning. He smiled slightly, and nodded.

"How is everything for you?" Those blue eyes were piercing, questioning. "Have you been able to settle in?"

I turned away, drinking from my bottle. "Things are definitely much better than I could have ever hoped. Thanks for taking me in like that." I had realized just how big a risk they were taking by allowing me to live with them and become a member of their group. They could have just as easily killed me or thrown me back out into the streets.

"I remembered you." He replied, gazing out the window at the shining stars. I turned to him in surprise. "You used to play football with all us big fifth graders when you were in kindergarten. Speeding Bullet, we used to call you. I'd never seen a girl run that fast. It took a good five of us to catch you." He grinned.

My thoughts flashed back to my younger years, the first day of school, leaving early and running around the playground before class actually started, just to miss Ansem's hangovers. Running with a football the size of my arm through the big kids, feeling them spin me around when I scored a touchdown. I laughed.

"I do remember that! Man, I miss those days." We both grew quiet, immersed in our own memories. I looked up at him.

"What happened? You stopped coming to school halfway through the year."

"I changed orphanages, and it was in a different school district. Both Leon and I did. I remember we used to fight over who got to have you on their team for recess."

"You grew up together?" I knew I was pushing my luck by asking. Cloud didn't seem bothered by it however, he just nodded.

"We did everything together. Oh hey, Riku stumbled in a while ago, trashed. Did he get drunk at the club?"

I groaned when my thoughts were brought back to Riku.

"He was probably too wrapped up in getting with any chick he could to notice how much he was drinking," I muttered bitterly, slamming my empty bottle in the trash.

Cloud shook his head. "He hasn't been that wasted in a while. Something must have really upset him."

"He started it," I grumbled. Cloud chuckled, shaking his head.

"Hey, he won't act like this forever. He just doesn't open up to people easily. He'll come around soon."

I nodded and waved halfheartedly before heading up the stairs. When I got there, the lights in the bedroom were off, and the bathroom light was on. The door was open halfway, and I could hear a quiet groan.

There, kneeling in front of the toilet was Riku, his head bent, looking feverishly pale. I resisted the urge to tell him he deserved it, and poured some water into a glass by the sink. When I held it out to him, he took it without looking at me, and murmured a thanks.

Suddenly, he was bent over again, hurling violently. I grabbed his hair and pulled it out of his face, turning away from the sight as it brought back painful memories.

* * *

"_Daddy? Are you sick?" I peered through the doorway of the dirty bathroom, and spotted Ansem leaning over the counter. _

"_No. Get the hell out of here," he said roughly, meeting my frightened gaze with bloodshot and yellowing eyes. I backed away quickly, turning when he lifted another needle to his forearm. _

* * *

I came back to the present to find my hand still in Riku's smooth hair, the other hand lifting the glass of water to his mouth. He was leaning back against my legs, wiping a towel across his mouth. I let go of the silver tresses quickly, and backed away. 

Riku stood up shakily and spit in the sink. He refused to meet my gaze as I stood and stared at him.

"Not so fun afterwards, is it?" I snapped, flushing the toilet. He continued to stare at the floor, before just sitting down on it entirely.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, his head in his hands. He was wearing a pair of black sweats and a white tank, and I could see the scar that traced his arm clearly. I sat down in front of him with a sigh.

"You're stupid. And completely full of yourself. If there is such a thing as karma, I think it's catching up with you." I looked at him full in the face. He leaned back against the cool linoleum of the bathtub.

"Gee thanks for telling me, I wouldn't have realized that I was having a rough time," he responded sarcastically, finally meeting my gaze. I sighed, standing up.

"I have some pills for the hangover, they're in my bag. Use them if you want." I stalked out of the bathroom, leaving him sitting there. My hands shook as I changed quickly into a pair of shorts and a big shirt for bed. There was absolutely no way I was helping him anymore, he could puke himself to death for all I cared.

Yet, a few minutes later when the sound of puking rang out again, I found myself fishing around for the pills, and running a washcloth under cold water. I stood there, holding back his hair like before, and pressing the cloth to his forehead. I made him swallow two pills for both his sake and mine. When his stomach finally calmed and he began drifting to sleep, I pulled him from the floor and helped him get to his bed.

I helped him just like I promised myself I wouldn't, because maybe, if he felt like somebody cared, he could heal.

Just like I wanted to heal.

* * *

_Thump thump thump thump, one two one two one two. _The steady pace of my feet hitting the pavement calmed my nerves and set me in an almost trance-like state. The sun was just beginning to rise, and since I wasn't able to sleep after the incident with Riku, I went out for a run instead. There was an awesome trail that wound beneath the train tracks that looped through the city; a secluded area I had dubbed my own. 

The city had begun warming up again, it was late spring, and the humid air brought sweat to my brow.

When I left the house early in the morning, Riku was still asleep, hanging halfway off his bed with a hand thrown over his eyes. It was painful; really, how badly our relationship had started out. He was just so… distant, and it seemed almost as though he harbored a hate towards me for no reason. I sighed and shook my head; I really didn't want to think about Riku right now.

I couldn't help but wonder, though, if he really was the boy I remembered spotting all those years ago, the one whose jade eyes bore deep into my young soul with his pain when he saw his parents brutally shot. It was very possible, I reasoned, that it was him. The Darkness had murdered many people in their many year reign, but never as senselessly as that.

I was the big secret of the gang, the young girl who knew too much information, yet nobody wanted to take care of. Why I hadn't been killed off, I would never know. I was some sort of last minute resort, I supposed, if Ansem was ever in trouble. I could be an easy hostage, and I gave him a safe identity if he was ever suspected by police. He knew, and I knew, if I was questioned by authorities on the welfare of my family, I wouldn't reveal the truth. I was too afraid, and nobody, not even the police, could guarantee protection from them.

As thoughts coursed through my head, I found myself back at the house. I entered quietly, since it was still early in the morning. The house was relatively silent, with the exception of Leon in the kitchen, picking at a bowl of cereal.

From what I understood, he worked a day job over at a shop that sold weapons and motorcycle parts, a strange combination if you ask me.

He glanced up as I came in, and nodded. I let out a small smile and crept up the stairs to my room. Riku was still asleep, and I slipped into the bathroom to shower.

When I reappeared, Riku was sitting up in bed, rubbing his face. He looked up at me as I walked in.

"Morning," he mumbled, stretching. I ignored him, and walked over to my couch to brush my hair. I heard him sigh, and he stood up. He walked over to where I was sitting.

"Look, thanks for last night," he said finally. "Me and Roxas are going downtown today to check out some stores and maybe grab lunch. Do you want to come?"

I paused in my hair brushing. I didn't have to be at work until 6 to open up, and I did need some stuff. I shrugged.

"Sure, I'll come. When are you leaving?"

"In a bit. Did you go running?" he replied. He had turned away from me, and was gathering clothes from his dresser.

"Did I wake you up?" I asked, not particularly concerned.

"No," he smirked, "I can smell your shoes." I glared at him.

"Ouch man. I even bought Gold bond and everything!" I joked, chucking the shoe at him. He ducked, holding his nose in fake disgust. I chuckled and stood up.

Riku walked past me into the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind him. Just as he did that, Roxas burst in the room, a piece of toast hanging from his mouth.

"URGH! He's still not ready?" he marched over to the bathroom door and banged on it with a fist. "Hurry up man!"

He then spotted me.

"Are you coming with us?" he asked, munching on the toast.

"Yeah, if you don't mind," I responded. Roxas shook his head.

"Not at all! It'll be fun." He glanced at the bathroom door. "Is he still hung over?"

"No. I gave him some medicine." Roxas shook his head, making his blonde spikes swish around.

"He hasn't done that in a while. He's always been a bit of a ladies man, but he doesn't get wasted often. Riku has just been through a lot, and regrets just about every decision he's ever made. I can assure you, though, there's something about you he likes. He doesn't go around investigating and saving people just for nothing."

"He sure doesn't treat me like something special," I muttered, slipping on my flip flops.

"Yeah, but he'll let up eventually. Just give him time. Not that I'm defending everything he's done to you so far. I think it's just hard for him right now, with having you in the house now. It brings back hard memories for him, for all of us."

When I looked guilty at this statement, Roxas rubbed my head affectionately.

"Not to say we don't want you here! You're about the most real person I've encountered in a long time!" he grinned when I scowled and fixed my hair. I couldn't help but smile though.

The door to the bathroom opened, letting out a bunch of steam with it. Riku was standing there in jeans and a black shirt, his silver hair wet and messy.

"About time man!" Roxas scolded, dodging the towel that was whipped at his head.

"Well, since you're so excited, let's go!" Riku said, leading the way out of the room. I smiled, things were starting to get better. Ever since last night, Riku was being nicer to me, and as much as I hated to admit it, it was a huge relief.

We walked downtown happily, enjoying the sun and warm weather. Roxas insisted we stop in the skateboard shop so that he could pick up some new wheels, so we stopped there first.

Inside, Roxas disappeared to the back, getting into a heated discussion with the sales person. I wandered around, looking at all the different types of gear. Next to the helmets, there was a rack of obnoxiously bright sunglasses. I grabbed the most disgusting pair, lime green with orange stripes, and put them on. I turned to examine them in the mirror, and spotted Riku behind me.

"You like them?" I grinned, raising my eyebrows at him. He looked slightly blinded by the shocking color, and then smirked.

"Perfect. The best colors for you," he remarked. I grabbed another pair from behind me, highlighter yellow with pink spots, and handed them to him. He looked skeptical.

"Those are hideous," he grimaced. I laughed and stuck them on his face. They made him look like a color blind drag queen, and I burst out laughing. He frowned and peering in the little mirror, before chuckling.

A dark haired girl walked by, giving us a strange look. Riku looked at her and pulled the glasses down his nose, peering at her over them. She turned red and scurried away, and we both cracked up.

"Did you see her face?! Oh man."

"She looked like she feared for her virginity! You probably petrified her for life!"

We composed ourselves, then glanced at each other, and burst out laughing again. Roxas appeared next to us holding much more than just a set of wheels and rolled his eyes.

"I'm embarrassed to be seen in public with you two," he muttered, before yanking the glasses off our faces.

"Oh, you know you're secretly in love with them," I grinned, as we stepped out into the sunlight once again. Next, we headed to the café to grab lunch. As Roxas went to scratch a spot on his shoulder, I noticed a red splotch on his neck.

"Oho!! Roxas, what is this?" I gasped in my best overprotective-mother voice. Roxas blushed a deep red and pulled his collar back up.

"Oh, nothing," he murmured, turning away.

"It looks to me like a hickey," Riku teased, and I pinched his still red cheeks.

"Aww come on guys, lay off. You're just jealous," he glared, before stalking off to get our food. Riku watched him leave before shaking his head.

"Honestly, the kid is so shy." We both chuckled as Roxas continued to fidget with his shirt while in line.

The rest of the day went well; Riku was much more relaxed with me than he had ever been. I was happy, it seemed as though he finally realized that I wasn't going to put up with his crap, and that I was someone he could trust.

_It seemed as though things were **finally** getting better._

* * *

_dundundun. chapter seven! please review, and i'll have chapter 8 ASAP. _

_ps. nice alias john :_


	8. Chapter 8

Ahh, sorry sorry sorry for taking so long to update! I was having a major episode of writers block, and still am, so please excuse this chapter. Next chapter is sure to be exciting(I hope).

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed!!**

* * *

I had been living at the Nobody residency for one month. One month of sleeping in peace and quiet, one month of not getting senselessly beaten, one month of not fearing my own household. Granted, the sense of dread continued to follow me everywhere. It wasn't a question of _if_ the Darkness would discover my living conditions, it was a question of _when._

I was forced to be more careful of where I went and who I spoke too than ever before. Winter was drawing nearer, and I was bumping into former acquaintances more often than ever. Though I was seventeen, I graduated from high school a year ago. I went on to apply to scores of art schools, in hopes that I could pursue my passion of drawing, but I had no luck. I worked at a dance company during my "school hours" as my father wasn't aware I had already gotten my full amount of credits and graduated. I started saving the money I earned, and continued to draw.

About a week before I ran away, Ansem discovered the shoe box that held the nearly 5000 dollars I'd saved. Furious, he took it and beat me worse than I had ever been beaten in my life. At seventeen, I was still trapped and unable to protect myself. The money disappeared quickly, spent on booze and drugs and more weapons. I was sick with guilt; the money I had saved was going to be used against the innocent people in Twilight, and I could do nothing about it.

It was at the club a few nights ago that I ran into my former best friend, Yuffie.

"Namine? NAMINE! Is that you? Oh. My. GOD."

I didn't have time to react before I was tackled to the ground by the feisty and energetic Yuffie. She babbled on and on about how she hadn't seen me in SO LONG and how is was just SO EXCITING to finally get to see me again, and why the heck did I work so hard to graduate, didn't I know that everyone back at school MISSED ME?!

"How have you been?" I finally managed to ask when she paused for breath. Her brown eyes lit up, and she proceeded to ramble on and on about the new AMAZING boyfriend she had, and how he and that darrrlinng Seifer were with her tonight.

"Wait. Seifer is here?" I asked, my voice raising an octave as I peered around anxiously.

"Yeah! He will be so excited to see you!"

I mentally smacked myself at this point. Seifer was one of the "badass" jocks at the high school who spent the majority of his weekends drunk and stoned, and spent the rest of his time trying to get into my pants.

"Good God, Yuffie." I muttered. She let out a loud laugh, and smacked my arm playfully.

"Oh come on! He's changed a lot, you know! Since you left, he's calmed down."

"Well, if my disappearance had such a positive effect on his life, I don't think it would be good for him to see me again," I said quickly as I turned to walk away.

Too late.

"NAMI!!" A deep, moronic voice called out from the crowd. I took a deep breath before turning to him.

Seifer certainly didn't look like he had changed much over the year; his blonde hair was short, and he still had that ridiculous smirk on his face. He pulled me into an awkward hug over the counter, and mussed my hair.

"Babe! Where have you BEEN?" His hand still gripped mine as I pulled away from his overly cologned body. Across the room, I spied Axel, Demyx, and Riku eyeing him. Axel looked amused, Demyx looked disgusted, and Riku looked… angry?

"Hey, Seifer. I've just been busy," I dismissed, wiping the already sparkling bar.

"Silent and beautiful as usual," he remarked. Normally, this kind of talk would have sparked a blush in my cheeks, but from him it only made me irritated.

"Do you want anything?" I winced at the suggestion that question imposed, and Seifer's eyes glinted. I fought the urge to wipe that smirk right off his face before gritting out,

"I meant to drink."

He looked disappointed, good lord. He shook his head, and surveyed the dance floor. Axel and Demyx were still leaning against the wall, but Riku had disappeared.

"Yo, who are those two jokes over there? What is with that hair?" he chucked, gesturing to them.

"They're my friends," I muttered as Axel crossed his eyes at Seifer. He snorted, and turned back to me.

"Why be friends with them when you can have me?" he wiggled his eyes suggestively, and I almost hurled. Yuffie had long since disappeared to go find some "hot pieces of ass" as she so eloquently phrased it, and I found myself missing the perky girl.

"So what have you been up to lately?" I asked, hoping to distract his hungry looking eyes. He shrugged, crossing his arms over the counter.

"I got totally wasted last night, and we almost got busted by the cops. I had to hide in a dumpster for almost an hour," he chuckled as if this were the most awesome way to spend your time.

"Sounds ambitious," I said sarcastically, and he gave me a pout.

"Aw, come on babe. You know I don't go looking for trouble. I just like to have fun!"

I definitely did not miss high school.

I stopped wiping the counter when Seifer grabbed my arm. I looked up at him, and he cocked an eyebrow in mock seductiveness. Pshh, he wished he could do that half as well as Riku.

Wait, what?!

I didn't have time to ponder my sudden thoughts of Riku as Seifer pulled me around the bar.

"Come dance with me," he murmured in my ear as he pulled me against him.

"No thanks, Seifer. I have to work," I stammered, pushing him away. He continued to hold onto me with his death grip though, and dragged me into the throng of people.

"Just one dance," he insisted, tightening his grip. Disgusting.

"Seifer, no." I tried to free my hand from his grip.

"I never see you anymore, I missed you," he whispered, his mouth close to my ear. A shiver ran down my spine.

"She said no," a deep voice came from behind me. Seifer glanced up, his mouth hardening into a frown.

"And you the hell are you?" he said, his voice gruff. I twisted my arm out of his then, and backed up into the warmth of the person behind me.

My face burned with embarrassment and anger as I felt Riku's chest vibrate as he spoke.

"What does it matter? She said no, and you didn't listen. I recommend you get out of here if you know what's good for you." Seifer looked positively livid, and I noticed his hand coil into a fist at his side.

"Don't you tell me what I should and shouldn't do, punk," he growled, and stepped closer.

"Seifer, stop. Just…leave," I said, moving to stand with my hands outstretched between them. Riku was tense against my hand, and Seifer appeared to be shaking with rage.

"Fine, bitch. Have your precious boyfriend and your precious club. I'm done with you."

"Seifer, I was done with you a long time ago," I snapped, my own anger rising. Without another word, he turned and stormed from the club, grabbing Yuffie as he went.

I let out a sigh as the door slammed shut, and tried to calm my racing heart. Riku was still standing really close to me, his eyes trained on the door. He shook his head, and grabbed my hand.

"Come on," he muttered, pulling me out of the crowd. I glanced at the clock as we passed, it was nearly two in the morning. Riku continued to pull me over to Tifa, who had been watching the entire thing from the bar.

"Sorry about him," I stammered nervously. Tifa shook her head, laughing.

"Happens all the time. You should clock out, you look exhausted."

I nodded gratefully and headed for the back door, with Riku close behind. The cold air rushed in as I pulled the door open, and I sheepishly slipped my hand from Riku's fingers. His hand clenched reflectively, but then he released me and started down the street.

"Thanks." I managed when I caught up with him. He didn't say anything, only glanced at me. I felt another wave of heat flush my cheeks. How stupid I must look to him. I couldn't even defend myself when a guy was putting a move on me.

Riku seemed to sense my embarrassment, and slowed down, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Was he from school?" he asked quietly. I nodded, rubbing my hands together. We reached the house then, and Riku held the door open for me. I slipped into the silent house, everyone was either in their rooms or still out. We headed up the stairs into our shared room.

"He's always been like that. A pompous jerk I mean." I sank down on my couch, putting my head in my hands.

"I don't get it. He knows I hate him, but he won't leave me alone. Why would anyone bother chasing someone who despises them?"

"He's stupid," Riku responded, with a touch of sympathy in his voice as he sat down on his own bed.

"I don't even drink. I would be so boring for him. Why doesn't he just go after someone who puts out? It would save so much energy," I ranted, tugging off my shoes.

"The guy thinks he can get you," Riku shrugged. I huffed at both that and the fact that my stupid shoes refused to budge. I gave one final tug, and the boot came off with such a force it smacked me right in the head.

"Owww," I muttered. There was a faint snorting noise from the opposite end of the room, and I glanced over to see Riku trying to stifle his laugh. I huffed at him and rolled over, flicking the light off as I went.

"Goodnight."

"Aw, come on. Have a sense of humor."

I let out an exaggerated snore, and he sighed. Soon, I found myself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"_Bye, Namine!" Seifer shouted as he backed out of the driveway. He had just gotten his license, one of the few sophomores with one, and delighted in driving me just about everywhere. _

_I waved halfheartedly, before walking back down the long driveway. The white Victorian house I told Seifer to stop at was certainly not mine, but I couldn't risk anyone knowing where I lived. I turned down the alley next to the house, and cracked open the door of my dark house nestled in the back. _

"_Who the hell was that?" Ansem advanced on me instantly, slamming the door shut behind me._

"_Just…a friend," I said nervously, trying to scoot around him._

"_Just a friend? You little slut, if you get pregnant, I'm not taking care of that baby. And what are you thinking, having someone drive you home?!"_

"_Dad! I'm not going out with him, and he dropped me off at the neighbors! He won't find out!"_

"_Liar. You are a slutty liar now. You and your stupid boyfriends are going to get us discovered! Do you want to live in jail, girl?!" He was shouting now._

"_Nobody will find out! Besides, YOU would be the one going to jail!" I screamed back, and gasped when a fist connected with my face. _

"_Don't talk to me that way, you little slut! God, if you didn't know so much, I would kick you out." _

"_I didn't ask for this!" SLAM!_

* * *

"Namine! Wake up!"

I slid back into consciousness to find Riku leaning over me in the dark, his hand gripping my shoulder. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I tried hurriedly to wash them away. It had been a while since I'd had such a violent nightmare. Riku let go of me and sat next to me on the bed. I rolled over in embarrassment, pulling the blankets back around me.

"Sorry." I murmured. The weight remained on the bed, and after a moment, Riku spoke quietly.

"It's alright. I used to have nightmares all the time." This only caused me to turn my head into my pillow in shame. Ansem hurt so many people, not just me. The tears leaked out on their own accord, and pretty soon I was all out sobbing.

I went stiff when I felt Riku pull me into his arms. I tried to turn away, and he let me go, but kept his glowing eyes trained on me. I scooted back until my back rested against the back of the couch, and met Riku's gaze.

He looked exhausted in the faint moonlight. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was mussed on his head. He was wearing only a pair of sweatpants and a tank, his lean muscles visible under the thin fabric.

"I was eleven." He said silently, his eyes still on me. "My parents were both criminal detectives. They were assigned the job of tracking down Ansem and his gang. It was about two in the morning, and I was having a bad dream so I went to get a drink of water. Then I heard shouting and banging."

He looked down now, unconsciously rubbing the scar on his arm.

"They burst through the door, six of them, and I ran to my parent's room. They followed me, right to who they were looking for. I started screaming, and one of the men pulled out a knife. When I tried to punch him, he sliced my arm right open. They all had guns, and then, they were shooting.

I managed to get out the way, but it was all chaos. My parents were screaming at me to run, and then they were silent. I couldn't move, all I could do was stare at their bodies. They were gone so fast. Then I ran.

My brother found me a little while later, and we managed to avoid the police long enough for them to forget about us. My brother got a job, and we rented a small apartment. When he died…"

Riku paused, and took a shaky breath. I found myself reaching for his hand, and he let me.

"When he died, I had nowhere to go. I lived in the streets until I found the Nobodies. And here I am now."

He finished, and glanced up at me. I was fighting the tears that filled my eyes as I came to a realization. He was the little boy I had seen those few years ago, he was the one who lost his whole family.

"We all have a story here, some reason why we want the Darkness gone. Mostly though, it's to protect everyone else from going through what we've gone through."

I was numb with guilt. How did I get stuck in such a horrible family? I didn't know how I could fix it, and that was heartbreaking for me.

"I'm sorry, so sorry," was all I could manage before I broke down sobbing. This time, when Riku pulled me against his chest, I didn't fight him. When I finally managed to calm down, he let go.

"I haven't told anyone that ever. Most of the Nobodies knew about it without me telling them." He gave me a slight smile.

"Well, thanks for telling me," I said hoarsely. Riku nodded, before standing up and heading to his own bed. He seemed strange, almost more distant as he sank onto the mattress. It shouldn't have felt like a slap in the face, but it did. The way he acted made it seem as though he regretted telling me. Maybe I still wasn't trusted, and that bothered me immensely.

* * *

The next morning, I was up with the sun. I crawled out of bed quickly, and hopped around the room, gathering socks and sneakers and a shirt as I went. I changed right in the room, as Riku was sleeping fitfully with his back to me, and slipped out of the room. I waved to Cloud before heading out into the dim light.

Within minutes, I was running swiftly and silently along my favorite path, allowing the pink sky and brisk air to carry away my thoughts. I returned to the house a while later to find everyone was gathered around the large kitchen table. They all glanced up as I came puffing in, and Demyx motioned me to a seat by him. I sat down nervously and glanced at the large map spread out before me.

It was a sketch of Twilight Town. There were red thumbtacks placed in various areas, some in one area more than another.

"So, last night there was another shootout. It was a safe range away from us, but there were casualties. They are reclaiming their territory, and I don't like it at all," Leon said in a low voice, as he pointed to the area of the shooting.

"How many?" Riku asked quietly, his voice shaking with anger.

"Three. Two were prostitutes who tipped off the police, like they could really do anything, and the third was a bystander."

Everyone around the table had some form of reaction, from a curse to a moan. I sat there in shock and fury. There hadn't been killings in a while, and I knew that this was most likely sparked by my disappearance. I looked down at my sweaty palms in shame.

"We need to be extra careful these next few days. They are afraid of us, it's plainly obvious. They won't invade our territory if we don't invade theirs. Make sure if you have to go to that side of town for any reason, you bring someone else with you. Alright everyone, that's it for today," Leon concluded, rolling the map back up.

Everyone shifted and stood up, talking quietly to one another. Riku was already disappearing up the stairs.

"Wooohh. Nami, you wreak," Axel laughed, holding his nose. I frowned at him and shoved him playfully.

"Thanks a lot," I laughed as he stumbled over a chair and toppled to the floor. I headed up the stairs and slipped into my room. Riku was pulling on sneakers and had tape on his knuckles.

"Training today?" I asked, trying to be conversational.

"Yeah." Without another word, he stood up and left the room. I stared after him.

_What did I do now?_

* * *

Review please! 


	9. Chapter 9

Hey guys, sorry for the really late update!! I have been so busy with school and suffered a brief writers block. This chapter kind of signifies something I am struggling with myself, so it was really fufilling for me to write. I'm so excited for the next chapter, be ready!!

Disclaimer: I figured I might as well restate this so I don't end up in jail or with a hefty fine. I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters, but this plot is mine, and original, so back off story thiefs!!

Let me know what you think!!!

* * *

"Split up?" Disbelief crossed my face at the suggestion. Leon looked around at everyone else, gauging their reactions. Apparently I wasn't the only one who was surprised.

"Leon, I don't know. How are we going to be able to reach each other quickly?" Larxene pointed out, her arms crossed.

"It's become apparent that staying together in one house wouldn't be a wise decision for us. It makes us that much easier to track, and with Ansem on his game again, I just can't risk it," Leon replied. There were large circles under his eyes, and his slouched posture made it painfully apparent how much he had struggled with this.

"We won't be far apart, that's for sure. I figure that if we split up into sections of four or three, we can create a few groups that can each live in the perimeter of our 'territory'. We can stop anything from happening quickly and efficiently, and nobody will be in any more danger than the next."

There was silence all around. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, and Riku picked at the tape that covered his knuckles. Cloud stood right next to Leon, his hands in his pockets and his eyes to the floor. Larxene still looked skeptical, her hands placed defiantly on her hips.

"When?" came the one word, the one word we were all thinking. When would we move? When would we separate and inevitably make the plan to take action?

Leon glanced at Riku, who was holding his steady gaze on him.

"Tonight. Riku, Namine, Axel, Roxas, you will all be staying in a small flat down by the railroad, still close enough to the club. Demyx, Zexion, and Larxene, you will stay on the other side of the railroad, near the water and the tower. Cloud and I will stay here, and this will still be headquarters. Every night we will try to meet up at least here or at the club, to reorganize and plan."

Riku, Axel, and Roxas. My three closest companions in the group for sure, so I was happy about that, but it was impossible to ignore the stabbing in my gut at the mention of Riku.

"How long will it be like this?" Demyx piped up, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know..." Leon sighed. "It could just be for a few weeks, or maybe longer. It all depends on how long it takes for the Darkness to make their move."

There was a rule within the Nobodies. We never attacked first, unless we knew a Darkness plan before hand. Allowing them to constantly be on the attack gave us the freedom from police threats, since we were never known to instigate fights except among those who men in blue were working so hard to capture them as well.

* * *

"Riku, have you seen my hairbrush?" I yelled from the bathroom.

"Yeah… its under the sink, behind the toilet paper," he called back. I reached under the sink into the dark cabinet, feeling around for my hairbrush. My hand brushed against something metal and cold, and curious, I pulled it out.

My heart raced as I stared at the loaded pistol in my hand. Having a pistol on hand was one thing, but keeping it loaded was quite another. With shaky fingers I unloaded it, running the bullets through my fingers. They were silver and smooth against my fingers. It made me sick just holding them.

Out in the room Riku was throwing clothes into his bag unceremoniously. He hadn't been able to go train after all, which had put him on edge.

"Riku." I asked, surprised to hear my voice shaking. When he glanced up and saw me holding the gun and bullets in my hand, he looked slightly confused.

"Where was that?" he asked slowly, reaching to take it. When I pulled away he froze, meeting my eyes.

"Under the sink, behind the toilet paper," I responded, my eyes on his. My heart was pounding in my ears by now.

"Here, let me take it," he said again in a slow, calm voice. I pulled away again, and took a step backwards.

"Were you going to tell me you kept a loaded gun in the bathroom?"

"I forgot about it," he muttered, looking down.

"Forgot? You forgot to mention that you keep a deadly weapon in a ready position in your room when you're staying with someone who clearly doesn't like weapons and you know it!"

My voice came out in a high pitch shriek by now, and my hands were shaking around the gun. He looked up at me again, his eyes bright and angry.

"Yes! I'm sorry, okay? I just didn't think it mattered that much, okay?"

"Doesn't matter?! Are you kidding me?" Sure, it didn't matter that if I happened to come in late and he didn't know who I was, and happened to have a gun in his bathroom. It didn't matter that if he got angry for some reason, he could easily grab that pistol and use it however he wanted.

"Just give it to me," he snapped, reaching again.

"No!" I practically shouted, backing up even more, "I don't think I should give it back if you're just going to load it again. I don't exactly feel comfortable living with someone who feels the need to have some murder weapon on them all the time!"

Riku froze, and his eyes flashed dangerously.

"You think I would shoot someone if I got mad? You think I would be that careless?" he said in a low voice. My breath hitched as he stepped closer.

"You think I'm just going to go kill someone because I feel like it? That one night, I'm just going to shoot you in your sleep? You honestly think I would do that?"

"Well—" I started, but he only stepped closer.

"I may have gone through a lot, but I sure as hell am not trigger happy. I don't just go around hurting people because I'm angry," he seethed, turning for the door.

"Riku," I gasped, grabbing his arm. My heart skipped painfully when his furious gaze trained on me once again. "I— you—I don't know. Okay, I'm sorry, okay. I just don't like loaded guns, that's all."

He continued to study me, skeptical. Then he nodded once, and went back to packing. I stood there in silence. I knew, and he knew, it wasn't just about not liking guns.

I didn't trust him. I didn't trust anyone.

* * *

"Well, here we are," Axel exclaimed, dropping his bags with a flourish. The apartment was small, but big enough for four people. From the front door I could see a living room and a quaint kitchen, and off to the side, three rooms which I assumed were bedrooms and the bathroom.

Roxas walked in and sat down on the couch. The one advantage of this apartment was that it came furnished, so the only things we had to move were our clothes and personal belongings.

"Not bad. Let's check out the bedrooms," Riku said, swinging open the closed doors. Within, I could see two beds, a twin and a full, and a mirror and dresser. He opened the other bedroom door to reveal the same thing.

"I call bigger bed!" Roxas shouted when he spotted the arrangements, and shot up to leap on the bed of the first room. Axel let out a yelp of frustration, before sulkily setting his bags on the smaller bed.

"If I fall off the bed, we get to trade. You don't move around as much as I do," he stated, poking Roxas in the forehead. The younger boy stuck out his tongue before unzipping his luggage and starting to unpack.

Riku stepped into the other room, and stood there. He glanced back at me from my position at the doorway.

"Take whatever you want, I don't care," I muttered, dragging my bags into the room. He stood there silently, before putting his stuff on the bigger bed.

"Fine, whatever," he said shortly, and I flinched at the tone. He noticed, because his brows came together in frustration. He tipped his bag upside down and let the contents poor out onto the bed.

"Hey guys, we're going to go check out the area!" Axel shouted from next door, although it really wasn't necessary. I nodded to show I had, in fact, heard him, and listened for the slam of the door.

"I'm going to make dinner before work. You want anything?" I asked Riku timidly. He shook his head and I crept out into the kitchen.

Inside the fridge, there was eggs and bacon and cheese and milk. And nothing else. I pulled them out and began mixing the eggs and milk and cheese in a bowl. I banged around for a saucepan, and poured the mixture onto it. The omelet sizzled as it hit the head, and I felt strangely calmed by the sound.

As I watched the egg mix cook, my thoughts turned to Riku and the gun. Then I thought of Ansem.

* * *

"_Daddy! Look what I found in the bedroom!" My six year old self shouted. I was holding the small gun like I had seen the guys do it before._

"_Put that down right now!" came his shout, as he wrenched it from my grip. He placed it on a shelf high above where I could reach, and I forgot about it, until about a week later._

"_Namine! Why is your shit all over the place?!" came his furious shout from the bedroom. My dolls were scattered all over the floor, I had forgotten to pick them up._

"_Sorry Daddy!" I squealed, before hurriedly bending over to retrieve the toys. Daddy always hated when I left things laying around. _

"_No! Sorry Isn't going to cut it this time!" He thundered, striding over to me. I instnictivly curled into a little ball. He started yelling, so loud and slurred I couldn't understand it, but the next thing I knew, there were gunshots going off. _

_He was brandishing the same gun I had found weeks earlier in his hands, waving it around like a madman. It went off, sinking a bullet into the wall about a foot from me. I screamed and tried to make myself as small as possible._

"_I should shoot you right now! Just get rid of you!" he roared, firing again. This time, the bullet was barely a few inches from my head. _

_He threw the gun to the ground, screaming in a drunken rage. _

"_I should kill you, just kill you. I don't need you, I'll kill you one day!" his voice shrieked in my ear, making me cower in fear._

* * *

A hand shook me roughly, making me jump a foot in the air.

"Namine! You're burning your food!" Riku yelled, his voice right in my ear. I looked down at the frying pan to see the eggs were black and there was a trail of smoke coming up from under the pan. Riku reached around me to flick the stove off, before starting the little fan that was placed conveniently above it.

"I'm sorry! So sorry!" I stuttered, backing away and reaching for the garbage. My hands shook as I started cleaning up the mess. Suddenly Riku was bending over next to me, reaching for a new trash bag. His arm brushed against me and I flinched again. His arm froze, and he looked at me.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm so sorry," I said again and again, waving my hands over the smoke curling up around the burned meal.

"Namine." Riku's voice came from behind to me, and I tensed, turning to look at him. His eyes looked slightly confused, and suddenly his hand swung out towards my face. I curled up and shut my eyes, waiting for the impact.

Instead, I felt arms circle around my waist, and Riku's hand pressing against the back of my head. He pulled me to him as I continued to shake.

"Namine…" he murmured into my hair. I let out a shuddered sigh, and relaxed against his touch.

"I'm not going to hurt you. My god, I promise I won't hurt you. Please, trust me, I won't hurt you," came his pained voice in my ear. He gripped me as I stood there in shock, thoughts racing through my head.

"I'm not going to hurt you, or use that gun on you, just because of the damn eggs. Namine, I'm not him, please. Please trust me," he pleaded quietly.

I took in a shaky breath and collapsed into his arms. He had scared me so badly, I thought he was going to beat me up, just like him. J

Just like him.

Tears were pouring down my face before I could stop them, and Riku continued to hold me close to his chest. He understood. He didn't want me to be afraid of him, and that made me realize how much I really was. I was afraid of him and of everyone, and he didn't want me to be. I didn't want to be afraid either.

"I'm sorry," I whispered when I finally caught my breath. I was surprised when Riku let out a small laugh, and I pulled away from his grip to look him in the eye.

"Sorry for burning the eggs or soaking my shirt?" he asked, his eyes gleaming. I pouted and shoved him away.

"You know what I mean," I muttered, glaring at the ground. Riku put his hand on my shoulder, still standing close to me. He bent slightly to peer in my eyes, and for a moment I felt so, so small.

"Please just trust me, okay? I'm new at this too." When I looked confused, he leaned back against the counter and ran a hand through his hair.

"I never told anyone about my family, I told you that right?" he said, looking at me. I nodded, my mind flashing back to the night before. He let out a small laugh.

"It's kind of ironic actually, that I told you… but I trusted you. I just want you to be able to trust me too," he said, his eyes surprisingly soft. I wanted so badly to be able to trust him, to not be afraid that he would betray me. I wanted it more than anything.

I looked him in the eye, and let out a small smile.

"You have burnt egg in your hair," I said, chuckling softly. I walked to him and reached up to pluck the black piece from his silver strands. When I snagged it, I carefully untangled it from his soft tresses. I felt him swallow when my finger brushed his scalp, and I felt the heat radiating off his body from our close proximity.

I managed to get the stubborn egg, and flicked it at his face with a smirk. This was my way of saying that I was going to try, so hard, to let him in. I could tell by the expression on his face that he understood.

_I was going to try._


	10. Chapter 10

**Ahh sorry for such a long wait!! I had the biggest writer's slump ever, and fianlly managed to get my inspiration back this week. I spent longer that usual on this chapter, and it is quite a bit longer. There are so many things I want to accomplish with this story, so it took a long time to brainstorm.**

**Anyway. I wrote a one-shot the other night after working on this, and submitted it without reading it, and absolutly hated it. Is that bad? Oh well, it was just a bit to corny to me and lacked any dimension. Hopefully this isn't the same. **

**Thanks to all the reviewers!! If I didn't get a chance to reply to you, I'm very sorry, and will try to this time! Any feedback and comments are welcome!**

**Enjoy **

* * *

People always say that if they were in a certain situation, they would handle it in such a way, usually the way most accepted by society. It always seems so easy to say you wouldn't make the same mistake as such and such person, when in reality, they probably said the same thing before. I would know, I'm one of those people.

In high school, I got my first taste of judgmental characters; those who look down on the sluts, the drinkers, the girls with the bad relationships. _I would never let him push me around like she does,_, or _how could he just throw his life away like that? Is it really that hard to keep up the grades_? In some ways we all do. We trick ourselves into believing we are stronger people than we really are. We seek out the flaws in others and compare it to our strengths_. Well, her parents are divorced, and she has never learned how to deal with the pain_, we say, because that makes it that much easier to suggest we would make better decisions.

It was the girls that fell guiltlessly in love with boys and gave themselves over completely that always struck me. It seemed to risky to trust someone like that, and when the relationships would end in a huge mess, this only made me scared further. Granted, I never had the lovey dovey parents that allowed me to learn the concept of trust. From a young age, I learned to never expect dinner to be on the table, and that when Ansem was angry I shouldn't even go near him. I began to push myself away from people, because every time I acted on my gut and not my mind, I was hurt.

The first time I told Ansem that I didn't like it when he was drunk( I was five), he proceeded to yell till my ears bled about the life he was giving me, and how fortunate I was to have anything at all. He risked his life everyday, he said, and that it was about time I started showing him a little more respect.

Being young and naïve, I took this speech to heart, and every time he came home in a rage for the time up until I was in middle school, I thought he had a good reason. Like I said, this was the false sense of trust I was given. I never trusted anyone after I found out what Ansem was really doing every night.

I had plenty of friends in school before I graduated early. We would go to the movies and shopping all the time, and gossip and laugh about stupid things. As time went on though, more and more of my friends got into relationships, and I dealt with my fair share of broken hearted girls. It seemed that every month one or another had some huge drama with their boyfriend/ex-boyfriend/boyfriend's best girl friend. It seemed pointless to me, and I vowed to never get into such a relationship. Eventually the violence from the Darkness got so fierce that they became the most feared gang in the city, and I was forced to keep a low profile.

I couldn't go out past nine because I had to be home to make sure every bit of evidence was kept secret were the police to find our location. Many days I would come to school exhausted or beaten, sometimes both. I grew apart from friends, and focused on graduating. So when I finally met up with the Nobodies, I found myself among the first real friends I'd had in a long time. Each day, a part of my protective wall was breaking down, revealing the Namine that had been hidden for so many years. This led me to my current problem.

This problem was in the form of a teenage boy with ridiculously stunning features and a personality that made most girls swoon. He was slowly beginning to chip away at that brick wall that surrounded my heart, delving into my soul like no one had ever before. And the annoying part was he didn't even seem to realize how much he was affecting me.

"Riku, get up."

I tossed a sneaker in his general direction, and smirked when there was an 'umph' from under his covers. Today was shopping day for the four occupants of our small apartment. We had very little food, as Axel and Roxas' bags of chips and soda had only held us over for so long.

"AXEL! STOP USING MY HAIRBRUSH!" Roxas hollered from the bathroom.

"I didn't!"

"REALLY?! Then please explain to me why there is LONG RED HAIR IN IT!"

"Oh, yeah, heh heh. Which hairbrush is yours again?" Axel responded sheepishly.

Roxas let out a frustrating groan and the bathroom door swung shut again with a slam. Riku popped his head up then, his hair sticking up in every direction.

"Ugh," he grunted, before stumbling out of bed. He snatched some clothes from his dresser and shuffled out of the room.

"Hey Roxas, hurry up in there!" he yelled, pounding on the bathroom door.

Axel turned the corner into the bedroom, scratching his stomach with a lazy smirk on his face.

"So how is it?" he asked, plopping himself onto my bed.

"What?"

"Oh you know, sharing such close space with the chum?" I paused my laundry folding and looked at him.

"Nothing weird."

"Oh really? No late night fights over alcohol and hidden guns?" I blushed red, and bent over to retrieve the sock I had dropped.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Axel raised a thin eyebrow, which was quickly covered by a piece of white cotton.

"Ew nasty! These socks could have fungus!" he exclaimed, holding up the garment with a disgusted look on his face. I snickered.

"Yeah, ha ha, laugh all you want. Just wait."

* * *

"OHMIGOD! I love these things!" Axel shouted, brandishing a brightly colored box of cookies. The random innocent shoppers nearby scattered and muttered to each other. Roxas glared at Axel, and snatched the box from his hands.

"No."

"Are you serious!? These are the best cookies ever invented! Its heaven in the form of sugar!" Axel insisted, gesturing to the skies.

"Yeah, and empty carbohydrates and saturated fat," Roxas stated, shoving the box back into its place on the shelf.

Axel looked at the abandoned box, back at Roxas, and then at the box again in disbelief. As soon as Roxas turned around, he snatched the box back and mimicked Roxas behind his back. Riku and I snickered.

"Seriously guys, can we please just get this done?!" Roxas fumed, shoving the cart down the aisle.

So far we had spent a good forty-five minutes in the store, fighting over which cereal or bread we were going to get. Roxas, I discovered, was a health junky, to the point of annoyance, while Axel tended to go for anything that was colorful and sweet. Riku and I had a heated debate over ice cream, and then we both fought with Roxas when he suggested we get sugar free popsicles instead. Needless to say, the workers and shoppers around us were as ready as we were for us to scram.

"Okay, we just need eggs, milk, and lemon tartar," Riku stated, peering at the list we had. "What the heck is lemon tartar?"

"I need it for the lemon vinaigrette with diced radishes we're having for dinner tonight," Roxas muttered, scanning the shelves.

Riku, Axel and I all glanced at each other. Who the heck came up with that recipe? We followed the determined veggie lover with frightened looks on our faces.

Another hour later and we finally managed to get back to the apartment. Riku helped unpack while Axel searched feverishly for the lemon tartar, apparently to hide it. Finally, Roxas shooed us all out of the kitchen to whip up his masterpiece, and we gathered around the phone to call Leon.

"Hey guys," he said when he answered.

"Anything new?" Riku asked into the speaker.

"Well, there was another report of gunfire down the road a ways, but nobody was injured. I suspect they are trying to scare someone."

"Did you find anything when you checked it out?" Axel questioned, his face inches from the receiver.

"Nope, nothing. Just be on your guard, you don't know when they may make a move. I was going to have everyone meet up tonight, but I figured it would be a better idea to hold off for a couple of days. Hey Namine, you there?"

I jumped slightly when he said my name. My mind had wandered off, thinking about what the Darkness were really up too. It was definitely different to look at the situation when I had no idea what they were planning, and when I was very likely to be one of their next targets.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Well, tonight I think you should have someone go with you when you go to the club."

I frowned when I heard this. I didn't care how much danger I could potentially be in, I didn't like the idea of having to be guarded.

"Fine," I sighed, and we said our goodbyes. Riku sank back into the couch, and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'll go with you," he said. "I need to talk to Tifa, anyway."

I nodded, looking down.

"Well, heck. I'll go too. God knows I could use a drink right about now," Axel stated, jerking his head at the kitchen where a sour odor was spreading.

We made a pathetic attempt to sneak by the kitchen, but unfortunately Roxas saw us.

"Hey, where are you guys going? Dinner is almost ready," he called. Grudgingly, we turned back to the kitchen. Ten minutes later I held a heaping pile of vegetables on a paper plate. I plopped down in the middle of the living room floor.

"Roxas, if I die, you aren't allowed to come to the funeral," I said, holding up a forkful of the stuff. Roxas glared, already halfway done with his meal. Axel laughed and sat down next to me.

I closed my eyes and took the first bite. I peaked with one eye when I didn't shrink or blow up, to find Axel looking at me anxiously.

"Not bad," I admitted, taking another bite. "How did Roxas get into cooking anyway?" I asked Axel, who was nibbling at his food.

"Well, we both used to work at a restaurant, his dad owned it and we were waiters. After hours, he would always be coming up with different creations while I was washing the dishes."

"What happened?" I asked tentatively, watching his face carefully. Axel shrugged, leaning back on the palms of his hands.

"Roxas and I have known each other since we were in diapers. Sooner, probably," he said with a laugh. "His mom and my mom were best friends, and they did everything together. Naturally, we became good friends, like brothers."

I nodded, urging him to continue.

"My dad wasn't as cool as his. He dealt drugs a lot, and eventually he got caught. We lost everything, my mom and I. We ended up moving in with Roxas and his family while my dad was in jail.

"Eventually, my mom got fed up with having to rely on other people, and went looking for a job. She became a journalist for the newspaper, and wrote a column called 'The People's View'."

I gasped. 'The People's View' was the most controversial column in a long time. It targeted violence specifically, and the Darkness was brought up more than once. I could still remember the first time the police used the column to track one of Ansem's men.

…

"_Goddamn that bitch! How dare she write about something she knows nothing about! I should kill that woman." Ansem hollered, throwing the paper into the trash, before taking the entire can and slamming it against the wall._

_I was twelve, and had just returned from my spelling bee. I placed runner up, and even had a fancy trophy. I guess tonight wasn't the best night to show it to him._

"_What happened?" I asked, quietly._

"_Oh, there is just some awful woman spreading lies about us, kid," he muttered, kicking the smashed trashcan. _

…

Guilt washed over me like a tsunami. Ansem had stalked the writer for days until she was forced to flee from the city.

"Oh, Axel.. jeez," I mumbled, picking at the carpet. I felt a large hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see him peering into my face, chuckling.

"Its not your fault, Nami," he said softly. "My mom left and moved back in with my grandparents. I stayed with Roxas and his family because I didn't want to leave. She was furious, of course, and I haven't talked to her since."

My mouth open, a question ready on my tongue when Riku peeked into the room.

"Hey guys, we should get going. It's almost time for your shift, Namine," he said, looking at me. I snapped out of my sad state and stood up quickly. Axel climbed to his feet behind me, and poked me in the ribs when he passed. I squeaked and smiled slightly when he grinned.

It was a much farther walk to the club than I realized. By the time we arrived, I was freezing and my feet were aching in my tight shoes. Riku and Axel both glanced around before we ducted inside the back door. They both disappeared to presumably find Tifa, while I pulled on my work shirt.

Out at the bar, it was absolutely packed. I was in the middle of filling orders for a man when a voice rang out in the crowd.

"Namine?"

I turned around and almost dropped the drink in my hand. Standing before me was the older brother of one of my good friends in high school. Hayner was his name, and he had headed off to the police academy shortly after he graduated. Hayner had always been super protective of me.

"Hayner!" I exclaimed, setting down the glass and pulling him into a hug from over the bar. When he pulled away he gave me a raised eyebrow.

"What are you doing working here?" he muttered, gesturing to the tipsy civilians around him. "I thought you graduated early. I figured you would be heading off to some amazing college or something."

I passed the drink to the man next to him, and stared down at the counter.

"I'm just working to pay for my bills and rent, you know?" I said quickly, trying desperately to look convincing. He still appeared skeptical.

"Where are you at school?" he asked.

"Oh, I have a few classes at the… art school. Twilight Springs Academy." I breathed a sigh of relief with my lie. It could be true, I had always loved drawing and had things been different, I definitely would have pursued it. Had things been different.

"So, what's up with you?" I asked, trying desperate to shift the topic of the conversation. Hayner smirked and leaned back on his stool.

"I just graduated from the police academy. My first shift for the station starts on Monday."

"That's awesome!" I exclaimed. Hayner totally seemed like the type to be a police officer, with his protective nature.

"Yeah…" he remarked, trailing off, before leaning in close to me. "If you ever need help, you know who to call," he said quietly, smiling. I tried not to look suspicious at this.

"Like always," I grinned. Hayner opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by a loud bang form the front of the club. The sound was quickly followed by screams. I hopped over the counter quickly, my heart pounding, while Hayner shoved through the crowd.

"What's going on?!" I heard Cid shout from the other side of the club. Up front, the doors were swung open and shouting could be heard.

"What do you think you're doing here?!" I recognized the voice instantly as Riku's. He was standing by the door, staring down a man in a black coat. My stomach dropped.

"Oh, you know, just checking out the area. I was looking for someone, actually. Have you seen her? She's a skinny blonde thing, about this tall…" he gestured, looking around wildly. It was Luxord, another one of Ansem's men. Riku frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I suggest you leave, now," he said firmly, his eyes darting around the room. He stiffened when he spotted me in the crowd, but quickly averted his gaze.

"Yeah, get your asses down here now. I don't know how many of them might be scattered around," I heard someone mutter, and turned to see Axel pressing a cell phone to his ear. He spotted me, and pulled me to him.

"We have to get out of here," he whispered, trying to yank me back through the crowd.

"Oh, but I think you do know where she is, Riku. Oh? Surprised I remember your name after all those years? You were such a young boy the first time I met you, barely ten, right?" Luxord smirked horribly, and Riku's jaw clenched. I fought against Axel's grip, my anger rising.

"Namine, no," he said, but he was pulled away from me by the rushing crowd heading for the opposite exit. Tifa was quickly ushering people through the emergency door. I struggled through the throngs of people until I was a few feet from the pair.

"Yeah Luxord, I bet you do remember me. I hope my family's face haunts you every night," he snapped, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"Oh yeah, I still remember those faces, so sad," he said with mock hurt, and before I knew it, Riku was lunging at him. They crashed to the floor, Riku punching Luxord in the face viciously.

"Riku!" I shouted, and ran towards them. Luxord shoved Riku off him with sudden strength, and Riku crashed into a nearby table.

"Ah, there's my little princess," Luxord sneered, coming towards me. "So it is true, you ran off with the little crime fighting teens, huh? Well, I think it's high time you came home."

He stepped closer, and I scowled.

"Home? I hardly call the dump I grew up in a home. And you people," I said, pointing a finger at him, "certainly didn't treat me like a family."

Luxord laughed, an evil cackle of a sort, sending shivers up my spine.

"So sorry, Princess. I promise to go easy on you when we get back," he taunted, now close enough that I could almost touch him. He reached into his pocket, and I reacted.

SLAM! My fist connected with his face before either one of us knew what was happening, and I winced at the stinging pain.

"Argh, bitch," he muttered, reeling back in pain. He lunged at me and slammed me into the wall, before the doors burst open. Before I could blink, Leon had yanked Luxord away from me and shoved him to the floor, and Axel snatched his gun as it clattered from his pocket.

"Oh, you brought reinforcement," Luxord gritted out from his position underneath Leon. "I did too."

Suddenly, I was being pinned around the neck against a tall, strong body. I felt the cold tip of a knife pressed to my temple.

"You're coming with me," a voice said quietly, and I stiffened. Ansem. I struggled against him, crying out.

"Let go!" I shouted, desperately pushing against him.

"Now now, lets be a good little girl for Daddy," he murmured, pulling me to the back door. Leon and Axel both looked up when I screamed, and their eyes widened.

"Ansem," Leon snarled, climbing slowly to his feet.

"Ahh Leon, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Ansem drawled, his knife still pressed against my skin. Leon scowled even more deeply, and began to advance closer.

"You haven't changed a bit, I see," he said, pure hatred in his eyes. Ansem only chuckled, the action making his chest rise and fall against my back. I tried desperately to pull myself as far away from his body as possible. In response, he tightened his grip around my neck, restraining my breathing. My heart rate sped up, and I felt my face burning with fear and rage.

"Let go of me!" I screamed again, elbowing him hard in the ribs. He barely flinched, but his grip tightened. Sirens could be heard in the distance, and Ansem loosened his grip.

"Saix, Luxord, lets get out of here," he called, and Saix appeared out of no where, and held a gun out to Axel, while Ansem released the knife at my head to pull out his own gun, pointing it at my face.

"It would be wise for you to not chase us," he murmured to Leon as Axel stepped away from Luxord. I wanted to scream in frustration. Since when were we so unprepared?! Then the grip around my neck was release, and I stumbled forward before spinning around.

Ansem and his men were already fleeing for the back door. I turned to run after them but Leon's arms wrapped around my waist.

"No," he commanded quietly when I struggled. "Just let them run away for now. We don't know how many of them there are around, and we're outnumbered."

"So we're just going to let them run away?! Just like that?!" I was practically shouting now.

"Yes," Leon said firmly, "For now."

I slumped in frustration and he let go of me. Axel was hoisting Riku to his feet, and Leon and I ran after them out the front door just as the sirens turned the corner.

Leon went back with us to our apartment, and stayed until he was sure all the police were gone from the scene. Riku wasn't badly hurt, he just had a few bruises and cuts. Roxas seemed slightly disappointed to miss out on the action, and Axel simply slumped to the floor in defeat. Leon looked around one last time, running his hands through his hair tiredly.

"Get some sleep for tonight and don't leave here. I'll call in the morning," he murmured before slipping back out into the night.

"This is so fucked up," Axel muttered, his head in his hands. I nodded, still fuming. It didn't seem fair that they could just come into our 'territory' and wreak havoc, and then simply leave. Seeing Ansem again tonight had stirred up emotions I hadn't felt in a while. Being with the Nobodies had brought the realization to me at just how much the Darkness had messed up people's lives.

"I'm going to bed," Roxas murmured, and Axel followed behind. Riku was already on his way to our room, limping slightly. When I got to the doorway he was laying face down on his bed. Cautiously, I sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, looking at the back of his head. He sat up, his eyes tired and mouth turned down.

"It's not your fault," he grunted, leaning back against the wall. I looked down at my hands.

"I know, but it just makes me so mad," I said, before looking back up at him. "Are you okay?"

Riku shrugged, examining a cut on his arm.

"Hey, it looks like smiley face," I said suddenly, grinning. I poked the cut lightly and Riku raised an eyebrow at me before looking back at it. His face broke into a grin.

"You are so weird," he stated. I frowned.

"Well it does! I'm trying to cheer you up here, cut me a little slack."

Riku's smile disappeared as quickly as it came, his eyes becoming troubled once again.

"I told you, I'm fine." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, sure. You look just fabulous to me," I muttered. Riku looked back at his arm again, before shrugging.

"Okay, so maybe I'm not fine, but I don't need to bother you about it," he murmured, and I couldn't help but notice how sad his full lips looked.

"Bother me?" I scoffed. "Its going to bother me more if you get all cold and angry like you were for so long." At that, Riku looked back at me.

"Says the girl who broke down over a bunch of burnt eggs," he shot back, a light smirk on his face. I blushed, and examined my feet.

"Shut up," I muttered.

"Aw, no hard feelings," Riku said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me against him suddenly. I stiffened, and my face heated up even more. Riku let go quickly, a small smile on his face, something that was rare these days. He stood up quickly, before turning back to where I still sat, frozen.

"Sorry 'bout that," he muttered. "I'm going to take a shower." He walked out of the room quickly, leaving me sitting there.

Before he got back I was in bed with the lights off, pretending to be asleep. Riku climbed into his bed quietly and I pinched my eyes shut. I was immediately greeted by the horrible images of Ansem and his men, and I shuddered. Riku froze and I heard him inhale as if to say something, but I was greeted with silence.

That night, sleeping was rough. Not only because of the events that night at the club and the constant fear of what was going to happen, but also because of Riku and the others. We were a very complex group of individuals, the Nobodies, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**review:**


	11. Chapter 11

_Oh boy. Feel free to hate me for holding this out so long. I was so stressed with school and then just gave up on writing all together for a while. Discouraging teachers have more influence than they may think._

_Well, anyway, here it is! Things are finally starting to progress, and the climax is approaching! YAYYY. thanks again to all the faithful readers and reviewers. And for you quiet readers, get on that reviewing! please!_

Ready...GO.

* * *

"Stop!_ Stop, please!" _

_"Dumb bitch, I don't know why I even keep you around."_

_I fell to the ground, my eyes squeezed tight in pain. __Dumb bitch.__ That was my nickname, my brand, for as long as I could remember. _

_Why did he keep me around?_

_It made no sense to me, or any of his men, for that matter. In all the things I did to 'nag him to fucking death', he never once dropped me off at some orphanage, or just not tell me every time we changed locations. Telling the police, that was something he wouldn't have had to worry about. Who would believe a little girl, saying that her respected author of a father was the ringleader of the most dangerous gang to ever hit the city? Surely not __Xehanort__, the alias he kept as my father and as bestselling author._

_Nobody would ever suspect that his 'majestically woven tales of sacrifice and family struggle' were just a bunch of lie__s to cover his real lifestyle. _

_FLASH FOUR DAYS LATER_

_"Dumb bitch, why aren't you at school?" Slam, bang, and he stormed into the room._

_"I don't feel well." My head pounded and my throat flamed. I rolled over to face the wall, pulling the blankets higher up my neck._

_"No, go to school. __Weak dumb bitch.__ You'll never graduate if you keep skipping __school,__ you'll grow up to be nothing."_

_"You mean I'll grow up like you?" It flew out of my mouth before I could stop it, and my hand actually flew to my mouth, my eyes wide._

_"What did you say?" His voice was low, venomous as he came closer to the bed._

_"Nothing."_

_"Dumb fucking BITCH!"__ His arm grasped mine and I was pulled from the bed and thrown on the floor._

_"You think you can talk back to me?! You think you are better than me?" Kick. "I'm nothing, huh? How does nothing feel?" SLAM. _

_"Dumb fucking bitch!__ DUMB ASS—"_

"NAMINE!" I stayed curled on the floor, cringing against the arms that shook me.

"No! NONONONONO!" I rocked back, gasping, trying to get away from those hands. They burned my flesh and made my eyes roll back in my head.

"Namine! Calm down!" Yank, tug, those arms. They just wouldn't let go, let go…

"LET GO! STOP! NO!" I pushed away frantically, batting those hands, my head slamming against the wall. His eyes, his face, it wouldn't leave. Fear clenched in my gut as his shouts filled my ears, his hands shoved my body, his eyes filled with rage, nothing, nothing, nothing could protect me, and I was going to die.

The fear closed in on me and my stomach wrenched as I fought those flaming hands. They just wouldn't let go, wouldn't stop pulling.

"Namine! Stop, calm down!" The grip was so tight, so strong I couldn't fight anymore, I could only thrash against those arms as they tried to hold me still. I felt sick, so sick, that searing taste of bile rising in my throat, threatening to spill from my lips as tears poured from my eyes.

It was over, it was all over. He was going to kill me.

Then everything stopped.

I felt my muscles fall limp, and I was sure in that moment that I was dead. But the arms were still around my body and I could still feel my own tears staining my cheeks. My breath came out in gasps as the shouts faded. His face blurred from my vision and was replaced with bright glowing aqua eyes.

"Namine." His voice wasn't crazed, wasn't screaming, and his eyes were not filled with rage. He wasn't beating me over the head with a chair and his breath didn't reek of vodka. His hair was silver, not orange and gray.

"Riku?" My mind buzzed as I looked around, seeing a clean bed and white walls, not a tattered mattress and garbage. Two people stood near the door, one with flaming red hair, the other with spiky blonde. They're faces looked scared, not angry and glazed.

And then I crumbled.

I pushed away from Riku, my hands trembling horribly as he let me go, and my legs quaked as I stood and staggered to my bed. It was silent as I crawled under the sheets, burying my face in the pillow.

"Namine?" came Roxas' quiet voice. I shook my head slightly, tears prickling my eyes. I lay still until I heard the others shuffle around and exchange hushed whispers. When the door clicked closed and there was silence, I started to cry.

It had happened again. Night terrors, ones that used to shake me as a child until I managed to pound myself against the wall enough to wake up. I would have bruises on my arms and legs for days, coupled with those given to me by him.

It was terrifying, to be so caught in a vision that you can't shake yourself away. You begin to convince yourself it's really happening in that moment. You relive the most horrifying moments again and again, the pain and the fear completely real. When I finally managed to pull myself awake, I had always been alone. Nobody had been there to hold me or to witness my pain. I would sit in the dark and wince at every sound until the sun came up and I could continue on with my day, as though nothing had happened.

That my new friends had witnessed something like this was humiliating. I was so good at hiding my problems when I was still in school. I could convince people that my bruises were from this accident or that, and the bags under my eyes were from staying up late for a project. Teachers suspected, but never investigated, and I was always able to distance myself from the people who got too close.

Now that I was with people who were so close all the time, it was frightening. They had seen me in my weakest moment; they had seen me when I was not in control of myself, when I couldn't hide my fear with a smile or a joke. What if they left? What if they thought I was crazy? The questions ran in circles around my head until I finally sat up and threw the blankets down in disgust.

"God DAMMIT!" I threw myself against my pillow and beat the hell out of it until I was heaving. Only when I had slumped back against the bed did I realize there was another person in the room.

"Riku" I stated in surprise, sitting up again. I felt my face burning as I desperately ran fingers through my hair. He, however, remained completely still, his legs crossed and his weight resting on his palms behind him. He stared at me evenly until I looked away.

"How long?" he asked, shifting a bit.

"Since I was seven…" I heard myself murmur, my eyes still down at the blankets scattered on the floor. "But I thought they had stopped."

It was embarrassing how my eyes filled with moisture as I said that. I was weak, I had to prove myself so much more now, now that everyone had seen me struggle. They could consider me too emotionally distraught and send me away. In that moment of silence, I mentally decided to be as strong as possible from now on, a force to be reckoned with. I wouldn't show any emotion, I would be tough. I was in control.

"Well, apparently they didn't," he said, letting out a little snort. But when I glanced up, slightly peeved, his eyes betrayed no snobbery.

"I'm fine," I stated shortly, rubbing my arm. Riku sighed and tilted his head to the side.

"Sure you are," he murmured, gesturing at my bedraggled hair and the blankets on the floor, his eyebrow raised.

"I'm fine," I said, a bit more fiercely, and stood up. I pulled on a sweatshirt and shoes before looking up to see him standing there.

"Yeah, sure you are," he seemed to mock, with his small smirk and raised eyebrows. I pushed past him, anger building again. How dare he mock me, I was strong. I was perfectly okay, that night terror wasn't anything to worry about.

I was fine.

* * *

"Hey Namine!" Cloud shouted over the pounding bass as he fought his way through the club crowd towards me. I smiled when he pulled up a stool and collapsed in it in front of the bar.

"Want anything?" I asked, pulling out a glass. He looked at me skeptically, taking in my tired eyes and still tangled hair. A long shower and fight with a hairbrush still had not taken out the knots.

"How are you?" he asked, leaning his head onto his palm. His ice blue eyes continued to watch me as I busied myself with wiping the bar.

"I'm doing alright. It was a bit of a scare last night, but I'm feeling better."

He raised an eyebrow. Oh how I was beginning to hate that look. He slouched over the counter then, glancing around at the other clubbers.

"Why do you think he just left?" he murmured, his gaze trained on me again.

"Didn't want to get caught," I said automatically.

"But… excuse my frankness, why didn't he just shoot the place up first and then book it?" His eyes looked guilty as he said this, but suspicious all the same. I paused my wiping, narrowing my eyes.

"I think…" I began, setting down the rag, "I think maybe he didn't like being outnumbered. There were four of them and much more of us. He always likes to have the upper hand."

It was disturbing to say this, to know so much about that cold-blooded killer. I couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through me.

"So do you think he will be gathering more men?" Cloud asked, looking a bit nervous. Nerves, they were something I hadn't ever seen with him, or Leon. This was a game of survival, of domination, without the friendly camera crew and a million dollar prize. This was our lives. Suddenly I felt sick, as I thought about the chance that we may lose, we may not all make it through.

"Hey, Namine." Cloud's urgent voice brought me back. His hand was loosely grasping my arm. "It's going to work out. We will make this work. We will stop them, I promise." He gave a small smile, and I began to smile back. It was temporarily relieving, even though I knew the fear still tugged at both of us.

"NAMI!" Axel shouted, a few hours later after Cloud had left. He slid onto a stool with Demyx, Roxas, and Riku in tow. None of them had said anything about that morning, well, Demyx wasn't even there, but Roxas and Axel were doing their best to pretend everything was normal.

"We clocked you out early, we're going to the café where Demyx plays," Roxas said, taking a sip of water from a bottle.

"Really? Did Tifa say it was okay?" I asked, my hopes rising.

"Course, man," Axel said, winking. And with that, he pulled me out from behind the counter and we left out the back door into the crisp night. The entire careful walk to the café was silent, with Roxas glancing around constantly and Riku standing close behind me at all times. When we finally stepped into the quaint, warm space of the café, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in. Demyx grinned and inhaled, spreading his arms.

"Welcome to my abode," he said, dramatically spinning around. I giggled at his happy demeanor as he strode to the front of the small room. Obviously he was well known here, because he got a large applause from the few members of the shop. I spied Zexion sitting in a booth near the front, gesturing us over.

"Hey Zex," Axel said, ruffling his hair. Zexion glared and flicked his bangs back into place, and then smiled at me.

"Hi," he murmured, and I grinned back nervously. I had hardly talked to Zexion since moving in with the group, he tended to keep to himself.

"You used to work at the galleria downtown, right?" he asked, stirring his tea. I looked up, surprised.

"How did you know that?"

He cocked his head to the side.

"I was a frequent featured artist," he replied.

"Fancy schmancy," Axel muttered in a faux British accent, grinning all the same.

"I remember you!" I said suddenly, sitting up straighter. "Your artwork was fantastic!" I gushed as Zexion looked down modestly.

"Found a fan," Riku said form next to me, and I jumped. I hadn't even noticed him sit down. I was about to reply when Demyx's cheerful voice came through the microphone.

"Hey ladies and gents! I'm Demyx, as most of you know, and I'm here to amaze all with my fantastic guitar skill!" At this, he got a few whistles and cheers. Confident, he looked down at his worn instrument and started to play.

I was lost at once in the soothing melodies. One song flowed into the next as Demyx swayed to the beat, completely swept up in his playing. Riku shifted next to me, and when I glanced at him I saw him looking down at me. I looked away quickly, a blush staining my cheeks. Why I was turning red, I suspected it was because of the events of the previous morning.

When Demyx finished his playing and bowed to the applause, loudest probably by me, Riku nudged me.

"We should probably get going," he muttered. Instantly I was angry.

"Why? I'm just fine here."

"Because we have to go training early in the morning," he shot back, standing up. I frowned. I wanted to stay here, surrounded by friends and comfort.

"I'm not five. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, because that worked out so well this morning," he snapped. I was fuming by then, steam coming out of my ears. Axel and Roxas were glancing uncomfortably at each other, but Zexion spoke up.

"How about tomorrow after your training, you stop by Demyx and my apartment and I can show you some of my new work," he compromised, his eyes steady on mine. I scowled at Riku, but Zexion's even look made me stand up. I waved goodbye to everyone and stepped out into the night with Riku.

"What time do we have to get up tomorrow?" I asked shortly, not looking at him.

"Early." I sighed.

"Okay, well that narrows it down," I huffed. Riku just shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

Back at the apartment, I was in the middle of brushing my teeth when Riku appeared in the bathroom. He was wearing just sweatpants, his bare chest exposed for all the world to see.

Stupid chest.

I narrowed my eyes at his reflection in the mirror, brushing harder. He reached around me for his toothbrush, his arm knocking mine. Unable to resist, I spit, as close as possible to his arm.

"Hey, watch it!" he said, pulling his arm back.

"Yoof waff it" I retorted, shoving the toothbrush back in my mouth.

Swish swish swish.

Riku began scrubbing his teeth next to me, his eyes on mine through the mirror. I raised an eyebrow and spit again, running the water. He continued to brush, before leaning over unexpectedly and spitting into the sink. And he left that disgusting toothpaste floating around.

"Gross," I scowled, running the water again. He smirked around his toothbrush, his eyes gleaming.

I stomped out of the bathroom, and scooped the blankets off the floor. Flicking the light off, I slumped into bed. A moment later, the light flicked on again.

"Are you kidding me?" I snapped, sitting up. Riku looked over innocently, shuffling in his drawer.

"Oh sorry, did I bother you?" he asked, still looking oh so innocent. I rolled my eyes. He was in quite the mood tonight. He flicked off the light and I heard him shuffling around in the dark.

"Ow damn!" There was a thud and I snickered as Riku's shadow tumbled to the floor.

"Frikin bed," he muttered, climbing into bed. I smiled and rolled over, letting my eyes slip shut. However, sleep would not come. My stomach twisted as I remember the night before, and I shifted. And shifted again. And again until finally I heard Riku sigh and sit up.

"Drink too much caffeine tonight?" he asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Shut up," I snapped. "You know damn well why I can't sleep." There was silence.

"Oh, I thought you were fine?" he muttered. "That's what you claimed this morning."

I frowned. "Don't even."

He snorted. "What? Tell the truth? You know you aren't fine."

"You're a bastard," I seethed.

Pause.

"I know."

I sat up, looking through the dark at him. He was still sitting there, but I could see from his shadows that he was staring at the wall in front of him.

"Hey Riku, what did you want to do, you know, before all this?" I asked cautiously, playing with my hands.

He was silent for a long time, then finally, "I wanted to be an architect." I nodded, unsure of what to do next.

"I wanted to build beautiful houses that everyone could afford, because my best friend was living in the projects. He was always so happy, even though he didn't have heat and he slept in the kitchen in the winter. I wanted to make houses that people like him could afford."

He inhaled after he said this, as though he was surprised to have said it all. I sat there, taking it in, before daring to speak.

"What about now?"

"I want to kill him," he said bluntly. Then, he paused and backtracked. "He has killed so many people, destroyed so many families. Look at you, look at me. We are the way we are because of him. I hate him for it."

"Me too," I said quietly. "Sometimes, I wonder why he didn't just kill me when I was little."

I felt Riku looking at me then, studying me. I glanced down at the floor, the wall, anywhere but at him. Then he stood up, and came over to me.

"I want to show you something."

So much for training in the morning. Riku had pulled me out of the house and into the night, past Axel and Roxas returning from the café, past the glowing lights and honking cars of the city, out to the railroad tracks and the station. We hiked up a hill that overlooked the city in silence, and when he finally stopped, I nearly bumped into him.

"Sit," he said, lying down in the cool grass. I planted myself next to him, and glanced around. His face was turned up to the sky, and he gestured for me to lie down next to him. When I first glanced up at the stars, I exhaled in awe.

The sky was illuminated with millions and millions of stars, each winking with its own sparkle. I looked at Riku to see him staring at me.

"It's amazing!" I gushed, and he smiled before turning his face back up to the sky.

"After my brother died, I came here all the time. It made everything seem less horrible, to look up at the vast sky, just going on forever. My problems always shrank in comparison to the stars up here."

I grinned. "That's awfully poetic." He frowned and shoved my arm gently.

"You're a brat."

"Bastard."

* * *

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